District Suspends Student For Wearing Symbol Of Wiccan Faith

I will never understand the concept of "disruptive" in school when it comes to normal fashion. Disruptive is incessant jabbering in class, passing notes, sleeping, playing music, jumping around on your desk like an idiot, bright flashing lights...you know, DISRUPTIVE.

I've never known hair or jewelry or most manner of normal clothing to be disruptive. For guys, CHEERLEADER OUTFITS ARE DISRUPTIVE. I still can't imagine why they let girls wear those school girl outfits after Brittney.

They instituted a hair code right after I graduated from high school along with uniforms. I had several friends there who had long hair so, in protest, they shaved their heads bald. Now, you tell me. Which is more disruptive? A long-haired teen or a bald one? And then what do you do, demand they grow hair?

The whole thing is just beyond bizarre and I won't even bother to go into the religious implications of this particular situation. I guess if the pentacle was the size of a car battery and she dragged it behind her or if it was tatooed on her forehead, I'd get it. But a necklace? Geez.

 

If it's so important to her ...why doesn't she just wear it under her shirt

......And yes I could see it being a distraction,because most young kids would associate this type of symbol with the occult.

 

You can't say because someone's religion upsets other students, it's a distraction. That's like saying you can't wear a cross or you have to wear your cross under your shirt in school. The only difference is that Christians strongly disagree with Wicca and say it's devil worship

maybe, maybe not... but this girl has every right to wear her pentacle loud and proud

if you make her take it off, everyone should have to take off their religious imagery

 

Doesn't it seem odd that the same groups (or largely the same groups) who won't allow the pledge of allegiance or prayer in school do want to allow other symbols?

My point is simple if everone takes God out of schools (the pledge and prayer) then do not allow other symbols in their place.

 

I think the only group actively questioning the use of the "God" reference in the Pledge was athiests. So I doubt they're the same ones fighting to allow Wicca symbols.

The case here seems pretty simple. If kids are allowed to wear crosses, then this girl should be allowed to wear her pentacle. If NO religious jewelry is allowed, then her's isn't either.

 

Doesn't it seem odd that the same groups (or largely the same groups) who won't allow the pledge of allegiance or prayer in school do want to allow other symbols?

My point is simple if everone takes God out of schools (the pledge and prayer) then do not allow other symbols in their place.

No one is trying to take God "out of schools". They are trying make sure it's not pushed on anyone (sometimes to the extreme, like the Pledge thing, in my opinion). People can pray to God all they want in schools. They simply can't make someone else listen to it.

There's no hypocrisy here. There would be if someone were asking that people not be allowed to do voluntary prayer for themselves or if someone was asking that this Wiccan symbol be displayed by the school.

 

I always thought those T-shirts with bloody and mangled Jesuses on them were pretty distracting.

This is stupid but nothing new.

Chuckie - that is really a simplistic (and incorrect) reading of this.

 

This is why I dislike so much reporting going on today. To me, it's important to the story whether the school allows other religious paraphenalia. That should at least be mentioned in the story. We shouldn't have to assume that crosses and whatnot are allowed.

On that note, one could consider that by allowing some religious items and disallowing others, the school is engaged in promoting one religion over another, which is somewhat of a no-no under the current interpretations of the Constitution.

Of course, I was always amazed at the use of the "distraction" rules in regards to clothing, especially since what is distracting or not is not agreed upon.

For instance, my high school was fairly liberal in regards to its dress code. The only real restriction was against shorts. Pants had to extend below the knee. No real problem there.... except that the rule was different for miniskirts. Miniskirts could be above the knee (though not a whole lot above it. I believe there was a specific measurement, but I can't recall it now). This was sold to us as shorts above the knee are distracting. But miniskirts above the knee are not distracting. Not a lot of consistency there, but whatever......

At the same time I was in high school, though, there were schools (and still are) that found that wearing untucked shirts or shirts without collars was distracting. Or male students having hair that extended below the collar or not wearing a belt was distracting and disruptive. Does that mean that the students at those high schools were simply more excitable and more prone to distraction? Or were students at my high school constantly distracted without our knowledge? Or are things that are listed as disruptive in many schools actually not disruptive at all?

I'm just glad it's not my job to make, justify and enforce these rules.

 

It's simple, seperation of church and state not only goes for Christians. That means no pentagrams, no pulling out the prayer rug, nothing. Rights have already been violated, the precedent is set. No religion of any kind in school it's that simple.

 

It's simple, seperation of church and state not only goes for Christians. That means no pentagrams, no pulling out the prayer rug, nothing. Rights have already been violated, the precedent is set. No religion of any kind in school it's that simple.

Ummm, what are you talking about? You can bring a Bible to school. You can pray. You can wear a cross if you want. There is plenty of religion in school.

What can't be done is have the school require you or anyone else to be involved in religion. That includes things like broadcasting a prayer across the PA system.

 

Don't get me started on a school's dress code.

At my school, I don't think you are allowed to wear crosses or other jewelry like that. I think you have to either put it away, or hide it. I'm not exactly sure on this rule. I do know that I've seen some crosses at school, as well as shirts with crosses and they haven't gotten in trouble.

I got my rule book out. It says you can't wear something that would indentify you with a cult, gang, or other unauthorized student group or symbolizing the beliefs of such a group. Also says you can't wear anything that glorifies Satan, and stuff like that. Can't find anything depicting religion exactly. Could have sworn their was something about crosses.

Like many of you, I think most schools go overboard with dress code. Just read my I hate school thread to hear my story.

 

So, I take it that the Slayer, Danzig, Marilyn Manson, etc. shirts are unwelcome in your school??

 

Probably.

But I have seen some shirts that are questionable. Wait, maybe you've seen them. Its a white shirt, and in the middle is a giant, purple dinosaur. Have you seen it?

 

Even if she is worshiping the devil, it's her religion....and it's protected by the constitution.

Like Mrs. JB said, if other kids can wear symbols of their faith, so can this kid.

 

Having educators for parents (and relatives), I have found that, the majority of the time, dress codes, hair codes, etc. are often just attempts to control what is normal behavior in kids.

As part of that system, administrators (particularly school boards who often have never and likely will never set foot in a classroom as an authority figure) come up with ideas of what is acceptible/distracting and what isn't. They argue over textbook content, standardized pencils and pens, they type of notebook paper that will be allowed, how short is too short on skirts, what is ok for boys' hair, what type of jewelry and or piercings are acceptable, cellphones and pagers, what level of facial hair is acceptable on boys, how to handle pulbic displays of affection and on and on.

Most of the decisions are made by people who act like they've never been teenagers before or they act on their own belief systems not stopping to consider the beliefs of others. Believe me, teachers are often as pissed about it as the kids and the parents. Decisions are based more on theory (usually flawed theory) rather than the practical application of the concepts at hand.

So, you get kids being sent home because of their pentacles or because a boy's hair touches his collar or because the girl's skirt is 4 1/2 inches over her knee, not 4 as the manual states. It's often petty or ridiculous and usually ineffective at best, distracting at worst which, of course, is what they were trying to avoid in the first place.

 

Not according to my school's rule book. I think maybe somewhere in it, it says no religious items, like crosses and stuff, but I can't find it. I don't think we are supposed to talk about God and things like that, but I think my school is a little lenient on the subject.

Sounds like my school.

 

Forgive my ignorance! What is Wiccan Religion? Everyone is giving an opinion ,so I hope someone knows what they are talking about?

 

I looked up Wiccan on Encarta, and it said the practice of Wicca, or something like that. According to it, someone who practices Wicca worships nature and witchcraft.

edit: someone else could probably explain it better, but there is my quick explaination.