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Here's the thing about "losing constitutional rights." These rights can be given up for any number of reasons. If I choose to work for someone who has clear rules, I choose to abide by those rules. Walking up to her and telling her to take off her cross because she's offending you is a violation of her contitutional rights. When she willingly enters into an agreement with an organization-in this case the school district, she is agreeing to abide by their rules and regulations, rules and regulations which may require her to conform to specific codes of conduct. Having entered into such an agreement, she forfits that constitutional right.
Look at it from this perspective: Say it wasn't a cross. Say it was a transparent miniskirt. She's just using her first amendment right to freedom of expression by wearing it. But she's in violation of the state's, school's, etc. dress code by doing so and is suspended for not covering it up or changing. Would you still side with her? The principle is the same, only the degree of controversy is different. One is clearly not appropriate for a teacher and one you can rationalize or sympathize with, but the policy applies to them equally.
Sorry, teach, I think you got exactly what you deserved on this one.
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