The <i>Lautsi</i> Legacy: A New Judgment on the Crucifix in Classrooms and the Multiculturalist Turn on Freedom of/from Religion in Italy

The article offers a socio-legal analysis of the recent case on freedom of/from religion in Italy, the <i>Coppoli</i> judgment of the Italian Supreme Court, which grants public schools the autonomy to manage religious symbols. The new ruling is discussed in the shadow of the <i>Lautsi</i> case, examining the shift from the discourse of “passive religious symbol” to the framework of “respect of different sensibilities” in pluralistic classrooms. In doing that, first, we provide a sociological framework for the study of “passive religious symbols” from a multiculturalist and religious freedom perspective. Second, the <i>Coppoli</i> case is contextualized within political, normative and judicial Italian contexts following the <i>Lautsi</i> jurisprudence. Third, we revise the model of “secularism as a method of dialogue” considered by the judges as important in claiming individual freedoms of/from religion in the multicultural classroom. The final part of the article provides a discussion and critical considerations about the <i>Coppoli</i> case, problematizing the future challenges of managing religious diversity in Italian public schools. We argue that the dynamic of freedom of/from religion’s jurisprudence in the <i>Coppoli</i> case endorses an additive model of accommodating diverse cultural and religious identities in public schools.