LONDON, June 22 — At a time of passionate debate over religious clothing and emblems, a 16-year-old British Christian sued her school in court today for the right to wear a so-called purity ring symbolizing her commitment to pre-marital chastity.
The case offered a counterpoint to a broader discussion concerning Muslim women wearing the full-face veil known as the niqab. But it also revealed stirrings of resentment among some members of Britain’s Christian majority that they are the victims of discrimination over how they display their faith.
Lydia Playfoot said her school at Horsham, south of London, had forbidden her from wearing the ring, saying it broke the school’s rules on uniforms and jewelry.
But Ms. Playfoot argued that the prohibition breached her human right to express a religious belief. Not only that, she said in a statement to the court, Sikh and Muslim fellow-pupils were permitted distinctive dress to show their religious identity, while she was not.