10-Year-Old Suing School Over Jesus Costume

**BEB** · 02-23-07, 07:09 AM

Get your kids to a private school, please! I have nothing against public school teachers, but the system is another matter. And no, I'm not for this kid's family cashing in on taxpayer dollars over this, but I appreciate the lawsuit for bringing the idiocy at this school to the light.

Let me get this right now. A kid can't dress up as a religious figure because that would be promoting a religion. Never mind the fact that Jesus is a figure in Judaism and Islam as well as Christianity. But at the same time this school required students to celebrate a Pagan Festival or they'd be punished?

http://cbs2.com/watercooler/watercoo...053120734.html

10-Year-Old Suing School Over Jesus Costume

(AP) PHILADELPHIA A 10-year-old boy who said he was not allowed to wear a Jesus costume during his school's Halloween activities sued the district, alleging that his religious and free-speech rights were violated.

The complaint, filed in federal court Tuesday, says officials at Willow Hill Elementary School in Glenside, Pa. told the boy Oct. 31 that he could not wear his faux crown of thorns or tell others he was dressed as Jesus.

The principal, Patricia Whitmire, told the boy's mother that the costume violated a policy prohibiting the promotion of religion, according to the lawsuit. Whitmire suggested that the fourth-grader, whose costume also included a robe, identify himself as a Roman emperor, the suit states.

While the boy's costume was rejected because of its religious nature, the principal allowed other students to dress up as witches and devils, according to the lawsuit.

Whitmire and the Abington School District, in suburban Philadelphia, are named as defendants.

District attorney Ken Roos, who had not yet seen the suit Wednesday, said Abington officials "feel like we've been a little bit ambushed here."

The boy, who is not identified because of his age, and his mother are Christians who object to the pagan elements of Halloween. At the same time, the suit states, the boy's mother did not want him isolated for refusing to wear a costume.

Willow Hill officials required students to wear a costume on Halloween to participate in a parade and party; those who did not were sent to the computer room, the suit says.

The suit was filed on behalf of the boy and his mother by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal group based in Scottsdale, Ariz.

The boy no longer attends Willow Hill.

**GOOSE** · 02-23-07, 07:24 AM

Ah,AMERICA,dont u just love it,never a dull moment.

**TXPO710** · 02-23-07, 08:25 AM

Wonder if an Osama costume would have been OK?

**Standard Dave** · 02-23-07, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by TXPO710

Wonder if an Osama costume would have been OK?

He is not a religious figure so I assume so, anyone got a tea towel some robes and an AK47 for their kid to try it out ?

Why was the kid going to a halloween party dresses as jesus ? was it to prove some sort of point?

**Ducky** · 02-23-07, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Standard Dave

Why was the kid going to a halloween party dresses as jesus ? was it to prove some sort of point?

Probably. Of course, it's ok on a daily basis to wear a cross on a necklace, but if anyone tried to wear a pentacle they're get thrown out for being a satanist because so many try to equate any faith not stemming from the old testament as devil worship. Churches are Big Business here, and if you tell someone in the south that you don't go to church you're likely as not to get a heated lecture "to save you from eternal damnation."

People can believe what they want, just don't force others to go along with it. The school was wrong for insisting the kids dress up if they didn't want to, and for fussing when someone decided to dress as something unexpected. HOWEVER - sapping funds in the form of a lawsuit from already struggling school systems is creating more problems than it is solving them. How about using those funds to better educate kids and adults alike on the history of holidays, and why the same holidays can mean different things for different religions? Oh, I'm sorry, that might take away reasons to bicker and argue with each other.

**Jackalope** · 02-23-07, 02:06 PM

These kinds of schools would be "struggling" a lot less if they weren't run by morons. Using a school day to have a parade and a party is a waste of time that could be used to teach kids something useful. This is why so high school students can't name the vice president or locate the Pacific Ocean on the map.

They had to have expected some kind of backlash from their blatant discrimination, but apparently pushing that limit was worth it to them. Does anybody believe that a Muslim student dressed as Mohammed would have been treated the same way?

**Pedro56** · 02-23-07, 02:19 PM

No it is just the widespread hate of Catholics and Christians. It is all bull shit. I just wish that someone would have the intestinal fortitude to tell these morons that bitch about kids wearing Jesus Outfits, Gun Shirts, whatever would just go move to Canada. I am tired of these frivolous law suits that do nothing but waste money of the state as well as the time of the people involved.