KILLEEN, Texas – First, an Oregon school urged staff not to put up Santa decorations. Now, a Texas principal has ordered a staff member to remove a Charlie Brown Christmas display.
The latest crazy holiday controversy involves Charles E. Patterson Middle School clinic aide Dedra Shannon, who placed a large poster of Linus on her door with the words from the classic cartoon, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord … That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown – Linus.”
Earlier this month the principal told her to take it down because of its religious nature, and on Tuesday the Killeen Independent School District board voted 6-1 to develop new guidelines for the school system – although the staff member still won’t be allowed to put her display back up. School board President Terry Delano was the lone “no” vote and told a local TV station he had no problems with the display.
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“I didn’t feel like the poster violated the Constitution or based on what I read from the attorney general or publications that it did not violate the Constitution and in fact may have violated the Merry Christmas Law,” Delano told Fox 7 in Austin. “I believe that we have come to a place in our nation where we are taking Christ out of everything and in this case the very word ‘Christmas.’ And it concerns me that someday we won’t even be able to say that.”
The Merry Christmas Law was signed by former Gov. Rick Perry as a way to protect religious expression.
Jonathan Saenz, an attorney and president of the group Texas Values, has urged the school to permit the poster. He is representing Shannon.
“Just about everyone that you hear from cannot believe that we’ve reached a place in America and in Texas, where a Charlie Brown Christmas poster is being torn down in our public schools,” Saenz told KCEN.
Said Shannon, “I believe it is discrimination not to allow Christians like myself to put up a display that is simply an expression of the story of Christmas.”
What is your opinion? Should the poster be banned? Share your thoughts in the section below:
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