A little know fact about candy canes, probably because it’s not true, is that they are ‘J’ shaped for Jesus. The Red stripe is for his blood (it’s not). And the white stripe is for the resurrection (also not true). But none of that prevented an elementary school principal from banning them.
Related: Human Rights Commission Calls for End to Town’s Christmas Tree Lighting Tradition
According to Liberty Counsel, Jennifer Sinclair, the principal of Omaha-area Manchester Elementary School, wrote a memo this November to teachers banning all decorations and school assignments that make any reference to Christmas, including the colors red and green.
“Please remember that we are not to be doing any Christmas or holiday-specific themed activities with students,” she instructed. “Santa and Christmas items are not to be on activities or copies. We have varied religious beliefs in our school, and it is our job to be inclusive.”
Replacing one set of protected values and ideas with her own, as noted by Attorney Richard L. Mast.
“The First Amendment simply does not require elimination of all Christmas symbols – religious and secular – in a misguided attempt to be ‘inclusive’ by eliminating all traditional elements of a federally- and state-recognized holiday. The effort to comprehensively eliminate Christmas symbols is Orwellian,” he continued.
Mast asserted that “nothing prohibits public schools from teaching objectively about religion, or about holidays with religious significance, like Thanksgiving and Christmas.”
Fighting for Religious Liberty
Mast works with Liberty Counsel. A group that lobbies for religious freedom. His letter to the School’s Superintendent also observed that,
“Nothing prohibits public school music programs from having a mix of sacred and secular songs relating to the Christmas holiday, as part of a balanced Christmas music program; or classroom assignments from having relevance to Christmas,” …
Sinclair wasn’t entirely heartless. She noted that things like snow people, earmuffs, gingerbread people, polar bears, penguins. And yes, snowflakes were acceptable.
Sinclair is currently on Administrative leave while the district does damage control.
H/T LifeSite News