Dec 5, 2011
Controversy is embroiling a California town over allegations that elementary school teachers have been told they cannot display poinsettias or Santa Claus in their classroom over fears that it might offend people.
“District office would like to remind everyone when displaying holiday decorations in and around school to be mindful no association to any religious affiliation i.e. Santa, poinsettias, Christmas trees, etc,” read a document obtained by News 10 in Sacramento that was reportedly sent to teachers at Claudia Landeen Elementary School in Stockton, CA.
The same document said holiday decorations like snowmen and snowflakes were appropriate for grade school classrooms.
Tom Uslan, the superintendent of the Lincoln Unified School District, told News 10 “there is a myriad of religious affiliations (in the community) … we don’t want a pervasive theme of a class to be representing one religious affiliation.”
A spokesperson for the school district told Fox News & Commentary vigorously denied that any letter or communication had been sent to school teachers.
“There has been no letter from district administration,” the spokesperson said. “There has been no policy edict from our school board.”
“There was a conversation to encourage administrators that each of our employees should enjoy their religious freedoms but we don’t want to have a pervasive theme of a classroom or public office to represent a specific religious affiliation unless we are formally teaching topics regarding those affiliations.”
So does that mean teachers can decorate their classrooms with Santa Claus and poinsettias?
“Not if that’s going to be the pervasive theme,” the spokesperson told Fox News & Commentary. “That’s the operative word. If you’re going to have a pervasive theme of one culture over another, unless it’s part of the core curriculum, then we would encourage that not to be so.”
The spokesperson said Stockton is a “very, very diverse community.”
She specifically mentioned the first Sikh temple in the West is located in the city.
“We want to be respectful of all of our community,” she said. “To promote one over another in a public space or as a pervasive theme in a classroom would be inappropriate. Always be respectful.”
Still, the school district has been frustrated by what they called “sloppy” reporting on the matter.
“The encouragement was not to be Christmas cops, not to be Menorah monitors but to be sensitive and to be sure that people are respected,” the spokesperson said.
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I will probably get deleted, but here you go: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/r-atheism/ratheism.
Because, you know, this shows Atheism in a good light.
I will probably get deleted, but here you go: http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/r-atheism/ratheism.
Because, you know, this shows Atheism in a good light.
Of course. This is FAIR AND BALANCED reporting.
Deleting you….I am religiously intolerant…I hate them F troops too….
"Plants are off-limits? I believe we live in America and we have people who have fought very hard to celebrate we'd like to." – Sounds like it could be applied to more than Pointsettas if you ask me
I see this came back as soon as I mentioned it was gone.
I love how this very same news Network emphasized that the Fort Hood shooter was a Muslim, and almost completely dodged the fact that the Anders Breivik was a die-hard fundamentalist Christian, yet Atheists and Muslims are creating problems for the country.
It is amazing how many Christians here are in denial about not only their own history, but the history of our nation. Just because many of our founders were Christian in one form or another does not make this a Christian nation. Do you know what the first Congress did on Christmas? They stayed in session and worked! And did so for over 60 years! Christianity is nowhere to be found in the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence. It mentions a "Creator" which is generic and can mean anything to anyone. As for Christmas, Christians need to stop claiming they are being "targeted" every time someone chooses to say "Happy Holidays" or a PUBLIC school makes an effort to be inclusive of the diverse religions celebrated by its students. In a country such as ours, that is to be celebrated, not looked down upon. If you want to live in a country where the religious preference of the majority rules, take a look at the Middle East and let me know how well its working out for them. Why would you want that model here?
I noticed my post about how Atheist have raised nearly $200,000 for Doctors Without Borders over on Reddits r/Atheism board. Now me and my friends are using your wonderful "Delete everything that makes an opponent look good" policy, me and my seven friends will donate $20 more dollars, each, to DWB. Thus proving more and more, Atheist are Good without god.
We need to get back to the principles of the Founding Fathers. The Pilgrims knew how to wage a war on Christmas, these poinsettia banners are just pikers. In the Massachusetts Colony, people were fined 5 shillings for displaying the Christmas spirit. If this country still had that attitude, problems like this would never arise.
How is Santa religious? I mean the current version of Santa – not Saint Nicholas. And poinsettias? Well I guess they are poisonous if eaten…oh well. I don't see the big deal. It's school – the focus should be on LEARNING. I don't think it will hurt anyone not to have Santa or poinsettias or tree decorations up. Sooo…when is Starnes going to report some actual news?
Ok I'm offended… bring it back or no more school!
THere is always Home Schooling….
Then they should have a wall representing each religion's holiday theme. Banning everything but weather icons seems more disrespectful than sharing them to the children. Just becuz Susie is gonna see a different holiday theme than Mohsin doesn't mean she's gonna change her personal views & holiday traditions & vice versa. Silly scared district ppl.
I agree that the political correctness has gotten a bit out of hand and I do celebrate Christmas. But I would hope that if Christmas decorations were allowed to be displayed, then Christians would also be open to allowing Hanukkah decorations such as Menorahs, etc…, as well.
I'm glad. As a non believer I'm tired of having to be polite aboutjesus while they give me hell for not believing. Schools are there to teach kids the fundamentals, not religion. If you want your kid to learn religion as well than send them to private school.
YOU MADE BABY JESUS CRY!!
Hahahhahahaha oh he will get over it! Lenny Arambula
What a bunch of thin-skinned, wussy, litigious kids we're producing. These un-offended kids are going to get a big wake up call in about 8-10 years. Another brick in the wall of why this nation is going shit.