PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - A law backed by the Ku Klux Klan nearly a century ago to keep Catholics out of public schools is still on the books in Oregon.
     
Oregon, Pennsylvania and Nebraska are the last states in the nation to prohibit teachers from wearing religious clothing such as turbans or priests' collars in classrooms.
     
The laws try to balance the constitutional conflict between protecting students from the establishment of religion in schools and the rights of teachers to express their beliefs through their dress.
     
But in Oregon, both religious advocates and civil liberties advocates say the ban needs a new look after it was upheld by the state's Legislature this year.
     
Sikh (SEEK) and Muslim advocates worry the ban could be unfairly enforced more on minorities and have asked federal officials to look at the law.
     
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)     
AP-NY-09-02-09 1532EDT