School Assignment: Prepare a Christmas Ornament Without a Christmas Reference
Some of the issues surrounding the Christmas holiday in the schools borders on the absurd. This is certainly the case for students at
The next morning, Zachary brought his ornament back to school, but the teacher refused to display it, commenting that my director says this is too religious and it cannot be put up. The other childrens ornaments are displayed in a hallway, on a paper Christmas tree, just outside the classroom door. Zacharys parents contacted us when they were unable to have the situation resolved. Interestingly, the school sent home another Christmas ornament for Zachary to decorate; again, refusing to allow any religious statement to be included.
The New York Department of Education has issued guidelines that also border on the absurd. In reminding its school officials that they are part of a multicultural community, educators are encouraged to respect the many different beliefs and customs stemming from our communitys religious, racial, ethnic, and cultural heritage. In and of itself, that makes sense; however, the regulations at issue specifically address religious symbolism during the Christmas season. The New York State Board of Educations policy actually says:
The display of holiday symbol decorations with secular dimensions is permitted. Displays that depict images of deities, other religious figures, or religious text are prohibited. Permitted symbols include, but are not limited to, Christmas trees, kinaras, dreidels, menorahs, and the star and crescent.
What, of course, is missing here is a nativity scene, which is the primary symbol of the Christmas holiday. The
Just two years ago, I argued a case at the Supreme Court of the