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Complaints About Christmas Carol Create Consternation

by Jim Brown
December 15, 2004

(AgapePress) - An Oklahoma elementary school has reversed its decision to ban the song "Silent Night" from its holiday program. But the school is being questioned over another decision to ban a Nativity scene from the program while allowing symbols and references to other holiday festivals.

Lakehoma Elementary School in Mustang had planned to exclude the popular Christmas carol out of fear non-Christians might be offended and file a lawsuit against the school. Although the song was ultimately permitted -- at the last minute -- the school lopped a Nativity scene from the program, but retained elements pertaining to Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and a Mexican fiesta. Associated Press reports that move prompted an emotional response afterwards from about 40 residents and parents who attended a recent school board meeting. The decision, they felt, was an ill-advised response to questions about religious content in the school-sponsored play.

The school superintendent said the decision was based on advice from the school attorney -- but that now plans are to meet with the Mustang Ministerial Alliance to develop a policy on religious symbols in the classroom.

Parent Shelley Lewallen, whose fifth-grade daughter attends Lakehoma Elementary, says the exclusion of Christian references and symbols was a surprise.

"I was just irritated because no one had told us [this was going to happen]," Lewallen says. "I knew these ten- and eleven-year-olds had worked really hard, and ... a lot of them had this little special part and it was cut out -- and I just wanted equal time."

As far as Lewallen is concerned, it is a question of fairness. "I had no intentions of filing a lawsuit or doing anything that way -- I just wanted to be fair," she says. "I'm a Christian, and I respect everybody else's religion, and I just felt like mine has been kind of outcast [sic] a little -- and I was tired of it."

"If we were going to do the other [presentations] and show that it's okay to have different beliefs, then let's keep the Christianity part in, too," she adds.

Lewallen says she was saddened the censorship occurred during her daughter's last holiday play at Lakehoma, and is hopeful Christmas will not be excluded next year when her son is in the third grade.

A similar situation -- and similar remedy -- occurred in a New Jersey elementary school earlier this week. AP says a parent in Egg Harbor Township had complained about the inclusion of "Silent Night" in a program at Slaybaugh Elementary, but withdrew his objection on Monday. Later that evening, the school board voted 7-0 to put the song back in the program, scheduled for presentation this week. As in the case of Lakehoma, the Slaybaugh program includes songs about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa.

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