Spiritually-motivated nudity

[Eugene Volokh]

   Apropos a discussion a few months back on religiously-motivated
nudity, here's a little incident (note that this particular incident
happened at a private school, and that the story doesn't mention any
specifically religious -- as opposed to spiritual -- motivation; but
it seems to me the situation could easily have come up in a public
school / religious motivation context).

   According to an AP story, "Kate Logan says she was trying to
express the spirituality of graduation when she disrobed in the middle
of her speech at the Long Trail School's commencement.

   ". . .

   "She credited the small, family-style school for helping to stretch
her, to challenge and inspire her individuality. Then she tossed down
her cap and slipped out of the white graduation robe to finish her
speech naked before a stunned crowd of 200 faculty, friends,
classmates and family members.

   "Her decision to disrobe, Logan said Tuesday, was made several
months ago as she began searching for significance in the milestone
event.

   "`The diploma didn't have any significance to me," said Logan . . .
.  `When I was up there it felt natural. It didn't feel like I was
doing anything crazy. It felt like the right thing to do' . . . ."

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Eugene Volokh, UCLA Law School, (310) 206-3926  fax -7010
               405 Hilgard Ave., L.A., CA 90095