TAUNTON - City officials sharply disputed yesterday widely distributed reports that a local elementary school suspended a second-grader and required the boy to undergo a psychological evaluation for drawing a picture of Jesus on the cross.

The story, initially reported by the local newspaper, raised questions of religious bias days before Christmas and was broadcast by local television stations and other news media. Making the story more compelling, the boy’s father held court for much of the day at his girlfriend’s apartment, granting interviews to reporters from Providence to Boston, demanding that the school district compensate him for his family’s pain and suffering.

“It hurts me that they did this to my kid,’’ Chester Johnson, the boy’s father, said in an interview with the Globe. “They can’t mess with our religion. They owe us a small lump sum for this.’’
....
Johnson said his son was suffering as a result of the commotion. He said his grades have declined in recent days and that he wanted him to be transferred to the Elizabeth Pole School, the most recently built in Taunton.

“He said he was uncomfortable,’’ he said. “I also think they should give him a fully paid scholarship to the school of his choice. We should be compensated for our pain and suffering.’’

I don't get what's wrong with this. It's JESUS. Christmas is about Jesus. Jesus died on the cross. Isn't that related to Christmas?

Don't want that kind of riffraff in our schools.

No, it's related to Easter.


African-American Christians?

No, it's related to Easter.


African-American Christians?

Religion. Its school. The only time religion should be allowed in school is when learning about these religions. It seems to me by making Christmas cards, they were celebrating a religious holiday. Unless this is a private Catholic school, thats bs.

No one instructed the boy or anyone else to draw pictures about Christmas...he did that on his own.

The first post said that they were told to draw Christmas cards. Cards are used to celebrate holidays. Christmas is a Christian holiday. As long as this is purely learning based and as long as they made cards to celebrate other religions (or just celebrate giving and winter for non-religious folk) than thats fine.