Posted on 12/24/2004 11:30:11 AM PST by 82Marine89
HAMPTON - A parent of a Hampton Academy Junior High School student says the principal of the school told his son to leave the school’s holiday dance on Friday night because the boy was dressed in a Santa Claus costume, which was politically incorrect. Michael Lafond said his son, Bryan, went to the dance dressed as Santa because it was a holiday party.
"He asked if he could dress like Santa and we said yes," said Lafond. "We went to Brooks and purchased the outfit and everything."
Lafond said his wife dropped off Bryan at the school.
"I went to the dance with my friend," said Bryan Lafond, who is in seventh grade. "He had an elf hat on and we thought it was pretty cool. Everyone loved the suit, but when I went by the principal, he asked why I was dressed like that."
Principal Fred Muscara said he told the boy he couldn’t get into the dance because he was wearing the costume.
"It was a holiday party," said Muscara. "It was not a Christmas party. There is a separation of church and state. We have a lot of students that go to Hampton Academy Junior High that have different religions. We have to be sensitive to that."
Bryan said while Muscara didn’t say he had to leave, he told Bryan if he wanted to go the dance he would have to change out of the suit and put on proper attire for the dance.
Having nothing to change into, Bryan left the dance to try and find his mother.
"My wife was leaving the parking lot when she saw Bryan running out of the building," said Lafond. "He told her that the principal said it was politically incorrect to wear the Santa outfit."
"I saw him running out of the building crying," said Leslie Lafond, Bryan’s mother.
Lafond said while he disagrees with their reasoning he could almost understand it.
What he couldn’t understand was why his son was able to leave the dance.
"One of reasons why we are so angry is that the school has a policy that says once you go to the dance you can’t leave until it’s over," said Lafond. "You can’t leave school grounds unless they call a parent. If my wife wasn’t there, my son would have been out roaming the streets."
Bryan’s mother picked up her son and drove him home to change.
Lafond said his wife had to persuade Bryan to go back to the dance.
"He was so embarrassed," said Lafond. "It wasn’t like he was trying to pull a prank. He is just a good-natured kid getting into the holiday spirit who just happened to walk right by Scrooge."
Muscara said he was unaware that Bryan left the dance.
"I asked if he had something he could change into and he said he did," said Muscara.
Lafond said when his wife drove Bryan back to the dance, she complained to school officials.
She said she also complained to several School Board members and Muscara.
On Monday, Bryan’s parents went before the School Board to voice their concerns.
"I don’t want this to happen again," said Leslie. "It is unacceptable. When Bryan returned to the school, the principal said, ‘What are you doing, trying to get me fired.’ That is not a proper comment to make to a student."
Superintendent James Gaylord told the School Board it would discuss the matter in non-public session because it involved a student and personnel.
When contacted at her house Monday afternoon, Hampton School Board Chairman Nancy Serpis said she was concerned with what she heard.
"We need to look at the whole situation," said Serpis.
Lafond said political correctness is getting out of control.
"I don’t get it," said Lafond, citing a PTA breakfast with Santa at the school a couple of weeks ago.
"What’s next? Are they going to get rid of Halloween because of paganism?" he asked.
"The last time I checked, Christmas was the celebration of the birth of Christ and not Santa Claus," Leslie said. "I want them to make an apology to my son. My son was humiliated."
Care to contact "sensitive" Principal Scrooge with a special "sensitive" Christmas message?
Fred Muscara, Principal
Email: fmuscara@sau21.k12.nh.us
Phone: (603) 926-2000
Dear Principal Scrooge: You sent home a child because he wore a santa suit? Besides the fact that your separtion of church and state argument is complete bunk, Santa is secular and in no way endorses any religion. Your uber PC mindset is poison to young minds. You should be ashamed of yourself. With all the REAL problems facing children in schools today, you choose this as your battle? That is truly sad.
Merry Christmas,
This guy needs to be FReeped.
He needs to see the inside of an unemployment office, too.
They should contact the ACLU immediately to sue the school for this obvious act of religious discrimination!!! I'm sure the ACLU will jump on this immediately! /SARCASM
If it were my kid, I would have to sue even if there was 0% chance of winning. Just to cost the district money for such a STUIPD decision.
Take them to court -- apparently it is the only thing liberals understand.
Fired a shot across his bow!
The First Amendment of the Constitution also states that: "Congress shall make no law...prohibiting the free exercise" [of religion.] St. Nicholas or Santa Claus was a Greek Orthodox bishop. If the boy wishes to dress as Santa Claus, Mohammed, Buddha, Moses or any other religious figure that is his right of religious expression from which government [and by extension any school receiving public funds] is forbidden from prohibiting. I would say this boy's rights have been clearly violated.
The First Amendment does not guarantee the right of people not to feel offended, outraged or left out by other's free exercise of religion.
Yeah? Well, since Muscara was sensitive to everyone except the boy in question, I say post it as often as necessary.
It's time to go to war with the bedwetters and ostriches.
I guess that means we care.
There's only one explanation: Brain damage. The only appropriate response to these idiots is derisive laughter.
This was a Page One story today in the Boston Herald. Huge headlines too. It's good to see a little outrage out there finally. Good to see some PC backlash at last. I've about had it with this tail wagging the dog crap. Over 90% of us celebrate Christmas in some way or other. The fact that we celebrate Christmas does not offend anybody and it's time to stop listening to a few old cranks who have nothing better to do with their time then to try to make others as miserable as they.
previously post 6 times
post=posted
Santa Claus, as most know, instinctively, but others can verify academically, has no place in the theology of any religion. He is, at best, a "pagan" symbol, being that he is consistently regerred to as an "elf". And other than a few Druids and Wiccans, elves are broadly held to be mythical creatures, born of pagan symbology.
They exist only amidst brownies, trolls, warlocks, witches, dragons and other mythical beings.
They are hardly the things of Christian theology.
However, here in the United States and in many other nations, Santa Clause has presumed a place in our culture. As much as his "corporeal" being may be mythical, we perpetuate this myth and invest in it the importance of the reality of the overall goodness to be found in mankind....
We inculcate in our children a belief that they will be rewarded, contemporaneously, for their good works and good behaviors during the year. Santa Clause "knows if you've been bad or good".
He is presumed into our popular modern iconography.
Norm Minetta, himself, checked out Santa's sleigh and declared it safe and worthy for its "around the world trip" this Christmas eve. NORAD will be "tracking" Santa's "progress" on its web site all evening....
These things are not evidence of some advent vigil for some demi-god from amongst a pantheon of religious dieties.
It is a cultural belief and expression.
This "educator" under the guise of a horribly misguided (delusional?)interpretation of the intent of the First Amendment, did not adhere to the constitutional admonition eschewing cCongress from passing any "... law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof...".
Instead, this "educator" trammeled this young man's rights in a very public fashion. And, further, he did so in a way that brought riddicule upon the young man, personally, as well as riddiculing his culture and his cultural celebrations.
Further, the young man in question was hardly alone in his acceptance of the cultural icon of Santa Claus. Arguably, 85% and more of the population of Hampton, New Hampshire share the culture of that young man, and have taught their children the legend of Santa Claus. Their cultural heritage was belittled, as well....
Should this mythical figure somehow have less acceptance in the schools (especially at this time of year) than the Loch Ness Monster, Paul Bunyan, Bigfoot, Global Warming, the feasibility of Socialism as an economic system, or any other myths....?
Yes, but did anyone provide his email address?
Dumbass principal is as dumbass principal does.
Another anti-Christian PC moron.
I like your analysis. Are you an Attorney? If so, You should go to bat for these folks (as well as the rest of us who believe in freedom of expression) and sue the heck out of this principal. A message needs to be sent to these type of people.
Yes...several times
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