Weapons, Religion, and Public School Policy

Some of you are no doubt familiar with the story last week of a Rhode Island public school banning the hat of second-grader David Morales. In order to participate in the school's "crazy hat day", David had decorated an army-themed hat with little plastic toy army men. The school banned the hat due to the school's zero-tolerance policy for weapons, because the toy soldiers were carrying tiny plastic military rifles.

When we read a story like this, it is easy to dismiss it as the rare insanity of an errant administrator. Surely this kind of decision-making is not common in public schools?

I myself was the victim of a bizarre public school ruling when my daughter attended public school in Kindergarten. Sensitive to the fact that my daughter was one of the few Jewish children attending her public school in Alabama, I asked her teacher if I could come into the classroom to share a bit about one or more Jewish holidays. I assured her up front that everything discussed would be in an age-appropriate, secular/cultural context. I also offered her a choice of several holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which could have easily been reduced down to a brief lesson on different calendar systems and the sharing of some cultural items and foods.

Her teacher, however, did not feel comfortable with me bringing any remotely religious content into the classroom. After some discourse, I decided to drop the matter, out of respect for the school's desire to maintain a secular environment, as much as I disagreed.

Yet that December, I found my daughter utterly inundated with Christmas imagery and symbols. Truly, I had no problem with this aside from the utter hypocrisy of having Jewish celebrations banned from this classroom while my daughter remained exposed to Christmas revelry unabated. Still, understanding that Christmas is for a large portion of society a secular celebration, I remained silent until I saw the schedule called for a viewing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Now, I love Charlie Brown. I love the Christmas special. It's classic, and I have no issue with my children being exposed to this endearing piece of 20th century American culture. But the show has an undeniable Christian message, with Linus getting up on stage and telling the miraculous story of the birth of Jesus Christ.

I contacted the teacher and emphasized up front that I had absolutely no objection to this film being shown to my child, but that considering the religious content and the constant exposure to Christmas imagery, I could see no reasonable objection to me coming in and reading a Hanukkah counting book to Kindergarteners and letting them spin some dreidels.

After much hemming and hawing, the teacher did eventually permit me to come in and present some non-religious Hanukkah items. She also, much to my great objection and regret, cancelled the viewing of "A Charlie Brown Christmas."


This is the tragedy of the modern American classroom, which is increasingly becoming devoid of common sense. This is the tragedy of the American public, that has grown so hypersensitive, it demands an emotionally and intellectually sterile environment for its children. No one group, I think, is devoid of guilt in this phenomenon; the pacifist that is offended by army men, the Jew that is offended by the Christmas tree or Easter flowers, the Christian that is offended by Harry Potter books or paperboard witches at Halloween. The family with no mothers and/or fathers that wrings hands over the potential trauma of their child having to endure a Mother's or Father's Day activity. Health awareness has even put a stop to the sharing of birthday treats at many schools, and recess is increasingly being replaced by structured physical education activities.

It is without end. What began as an attempt to expand diversity in the classroom is rapidly transforming into something that excludes all practical diversity in favor a secular, predictable, safety-sealed educational experience.