MADISON, Wis. -- A federal lawsuit filed by Wiccans against the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will proceed despite a request by the VA that it be put on hold for perhaps as much as a year.

The lawsuit filed in November accuses the VA of coming up with excuses for more than nine years to deny the Wiccan symbol on grave markers of veterans who were members of that religion.

The VA argued in a motion filed Jan. 19 with the U.S. District Court in Madison that the lawsuit should be put on hold. The VA said the delay was needed given that the department was working on new rules on grave markers.

The Wiccans' attorney objected, arguing that nothing commits the VA to finalize its rules or take up the Wiccan request at all.

U.S. District Judge John Shabaz issued a one-line order last week allowing the case to proceed. He set a trial date for June 29.