Posted on 12/15/2009 5:44:07 PM PST by Steelfish
2nd-grader sent home for crucifix drawing Dad says teacher became upset when boy drew himself on a cross
Dec . 15, 2009 TAUNTON, Mass. - An 8-year-old boy was sent home from school and ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation after he was asked to make a Christmas drawing and came up with what appeared to be a stick figure of Jesus on a cross, the child's father said Tuesday.
Chester Johnson told WBZ-TV that his son made the drawing on Dec. 2 after his second-grade teacher asked children to sketch something that reminded them of the holiday.
Johnson said the teacher became upset when his son said he drew himself on the cross. Johnson, who is black, told WBZ he suspects racism is involved. He said he thinks the school overreacted and wants an apology.
Johnson told the Taunton Daily Gazette, which first reported the story on Tuesday, that his son gets specialized reading and speech instruction and has never been violent in school.
An educational consultant working with the Johnson family said the teacher was also alarmed when the boy drew Xs for Jesus' eyes.
A call to Johnson was not immediately returned.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
What if the boy had drawn Jesus in the Christmas ceib/manger?
Oh, the video... stand by... :)
My first post on this thread is #2.
OK, this thread has offically gotten to me.
When it was starting I thought for sure it said “SUFFERING.” In fact, it said “BUFFERING.”
Time to do that last post for the night I think...
What a wacky story this is. The kid had seen crucifixes previous to the drawing, and what’s wrong with him drawing himself on the cross? Maybe he wants to be just like Jesus. Maybe he wants to be a saint and savior of sorts. And Xes for eyes? What the heck is wrong with that? This teacher overreacted IMHO, and I don’t blame the father for being upset. Moving to another district is a bit much as that stress probably doesn’t help the kid either, but this story reminds me of my son who was about 10 years old and drew the cover of his Spanish/American report with cartoon guys shooting bullets at one another. The teacher freaked and said although the report was done well, she didn’t want any violence depicted on the cover, so she marked him down a grade. He was really ticked off. I don’t blame him. In wars, they shoot bullets, not marshmallows.
Yes, and it doesn't make any more sense now than way back then. The teacher didn't blow up at the kid, nor can we see any insensitivity. He didn't mock the kid (from what we have been told), nor told the kid he was wrong for what he did.
What specific behavior of the teacher suggests either of these remedial actions?
IBTP isn't really much of an argument.
You then stated that it wasn't about freedom of religion.
Up to that point I said nothing about religion. My take was that the teacher was either in heat, or in PMS, or maybe both simultaneously, and needed serious counseling.
My side the discussion was decidedly secular until you busted in with your misconstrued "Jesus stuff". Now what the heck kind of Atheist are you to be running around imagining Jesus all the time. You should be checked out by competent authority somewhere.
The teacher let her emotions runaway with her when she demanded an evaluation of the child.
There was no basis for the request ~
Excellent point! Besides, wasn’t the assignment to draw something with which the child associates Christmas? I think it wouldn’t be too hard to see the connection....
>>Your first post is #4. It was in reaction to my point that the teacher needs to be sent to sensitivity and anger management classes.
You then stated that it wasn’t about freedom of religion.
Up to that point I said nothing about religion. My take was that the teacher was either in heat, or in PMS, or maybe both simultaneously, and needed serious counseling.<<
Yep — I really meant to respond to the OP because the direction of the article suggested this was a result of Christian bashing. I must have clicked on yours instead.
We have wasted all this thread trading clever biting repartee when I wasn’t intending to respond to you at all! LOL!! I don’t blame you flaming up a bit, but a simple “HUH?” to my #4 might have saved us both many electrons (not that it is your job to police my posts).
>>My side the discussion was decidedly secular until you busted in with your misconstrued “Jesus stuff”. Now what the heck kind of Atheist are you to be running around imagining Jesus all the time. You should be checked out by competent authority somewhere. <<
If there is a competent authority that can help me click on the correct link, bottle it and sell it! (but of course FR would shrink to 1/3 its size). :)
But FWIIW, I was going to ask you what anger and sensitivity issues you see. So you can take that on now, should you be inclined.
>>First of all NOTHING WRONG happened that could possibly have been the business of the teacher. The kid drew a picture. The lesson plan was to draw a picture that reminded the child of the season. End of story.<<
I beg to differ. A kid said he wanted to die. Different interpretations of the same act. I am not a child psychologist, but at least it wasn’t arbitrary.
>>The teacher let her emotions runaway with her when she demanded an evaluation of the child. There was no basis for the request ~<<
There may have been a legal basis and who knows what the teacher thought. And you have to admit the crucifix at Christmas is a little odd.
I am not saying it was NOT an overreaction. I am saying that you can’t conclude it wasn’t the proper course of action based on the situation and information provided to us.
This is why you gotta' make sure you are posting to the right people; else strange things could happen.
My church doesn't use them but we know what they are ~ there's no way that teacher didn't know.
“Johnson, who is black, told WBZ he suspects racism is involved. He said he thinks the school overreacted and wants an apology.”
Wrong as the school is, why is the race card whipped out here? Do we just keep it at the top of the deck to play every time we get upset?
>>I don’t need no steenking classes (pulls other poster’s head close, butts it, knees face as other poster falls backwards, and then proceeds in a close imitation of latest anime cartoon to finish the job. Performs tebagging ceremony in victory dance.)<<
Ah, the Mayor Daily (c 1968) approach to managing conflict... Did we need the Borat reference? LOL
>>? Do we just keep it at the top of the deck to play every time we get upset?<<
Ya think?
I don’t get it ..This teacher couldn’t handle this “nothing situation” on her own? No one drew weirder sh*t in school than I did , that’s what little boys do .
I don’t get it ..This teacher couldn’t handle this “nothing situation” on her own? No one drew weirder sh*t in school than I did , that’s what little boys do .
Your not engaging with most freepers, and of those you do, you manage to get into a position of personal assault towards a few of them. Almost like clockwork it is.
>>Your not engaging with most freepers, and of those you do, you manage to get into a position of personal assault towards a few of them. Almost like clockwork it is.<<
Your netiquette matches your grammar.
And I can assure you that of all the FReepers, past, present and future, that have graced and will grace these confines, you are the least meaningful and the most vapid. Ever.
God, it sucks to be you.
Go. Away. Tell your Mommy you need more Dr. Pepper for your man cave.
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