Bryan Lafond, in a photo taken at his home,
before going to the holiday dance at Hampton
Academy Junior High School on Friday night.
Posted on 12/23/2004 12:37:09 PM PST by O.C. - Old Cracker
Bryan Lafond, in a photo taken at his home,
before going to the holiday dance at Hampton
Academy Junior High School on Friday night.
HAMPTON - A parent of a Hampton Academy Junior High School student says the principal of the school told his son to leave the school’s holiday dance on Friday night because the boy was dressed in a Santa Claus costume, which was politically incorrect. Michael Lafond said his son, Bryan, went to the dance dressed as Santa because it was a holiday party.
"He asked if he could dress like Santa and we said yes," said Lafond. "We went to Brooks and purchased the outfit and everything."
Lafond said his wife dropped off Bryan at the school.
"I went to the dance with my friend," said Bryan Lafond, who is in seventh grade. "He had an elf hat on and we thought it was pretty cool. Everyone loved the suit, but when I went by the principal, he asked why I was dressed like that."
Principal Fred Muscara said he told the boy he couldn’t get into the dance because he was wearing the costume.
"It was a holiday party," said Muscara. "It was not a Christmas party. There is a separation of church and state. We have a lot of students that go to Hampton Academy Junior High that have different religions. We have to be sensitive to that."
Bryan said while Muscara didn’t say he had to leave, he told Bryan if he wanted to go the dance he would have to change out of the suit and put on proper attire for the dance.
Having nothing to change into, Bryan left the dance to try and find his mother.
"My wife was leaving the parking lot when she saw Bryan running out of the building," said Lafond. "He told her that the principal said it was politically incorrect to wear the Santa outfit."
"I saw him running out of the building crying," said Leslie Lafond, Bryan’s mother.
Lafond said while he disagrees with their reasoning he could almost understand it.
What he couldn’t understand was why his son was able to leave the dance.
"One of reasons why we are so angry is that the school has a policy that says once you go to the dance you can’t leave until it’s over," said Lafond. "You can’t leave school grounds unless they call a parent. If my wife wasn’t there, my son would have been out roaming the streets."
Bryan’s mother picked up her son and drove him home to change.
Lafond said his wife had to persuade Bryan to go back to the dance.
"He was so embarrassed," said Lafond. "It wasn’t like he was trying to pull a prank. He is just a good-natured kid getting into the holiday spirit who just happened to walk right by Scrooge."
Muscara said he was unaware that Bryan left the dance.
"I asked if he had something he could change into and he said he did," said Muscara.
Lafond said when his wife drove Bryan back to the dance, she complained to school officials.
She said she also complained to several School Board members and Muscara.
On Monday, Bryan’s parents went before the School Board to voice their concerns.
"I don’t want this to happen again," said Leslie. "It is unacceptable. When Bryan returned to the school, the principal said, ‘What are you doing, trying to get me fired.’ That is not a proper comment to make to a student."
Superintendent James Gaylord told the School Board it would discuss the matter in non-public session because it involved a student and personnel.
When contacted at her house Monday afternoon, Hampton School Board Chairman Nancy Serpis said she was concerned with what she heard.
"We need to look at the whole situation," said Serpis.
Lafond said political correctness is getting out of control.
"I don’t get it," said Lafond, citing a PTA breakfast with Santa at the school a couple of weeks ago.
"What’s next? Are they going to get rid of Halloween because of paganism?" he asked.
"The last time I checked, Christmas was the celebration of the birth of Christ and not Santa Claus," Leslie said. "I want them to make an apology to my son. My son was humiliated."
"That being said, an 8th grade boy in my school choosing to cry when he didn't get to go to a dance would have been subject to regular and repeated beatings."
You got that right!
"The dance was a private function at a private school."
This is a public academy within the Hampton School Distict, not a private academy or school.
Hampton Academy is a public school. Hampton School District...Home of Pamela Smart (Teacher that had high school students kill her husband)
Why? Because the Christians did not get in the face of the school years ago to stop this insanity. Got a solution. Rent a place for the evening elsewhere. All show up in Santa outfits etc. DON'T LEAVE. Force the party to be dismissed by your civil disobedience. Then invire ALL of the kids to your rented place. MERRY CHRISTMAS.
Well, that explains it.
Well, Steve, there you go, putting out ideas for the libs!
Merry Christmas and the blessings of the season to you and yours.
If you are correct, then I stand corrected.
I'm going to start a vanity thread. Keep your one good eye out for it, lassie!
Yeah, a sense of "proportion".
A BOY is crying because a principal told him to change clothes? What a puss."
Why wouldn't he? Is it very likley that he was ever taught about "traditional" manly virtues? You can't teach a boy to be a man without giving him a definition of a man. And you can't give him a definition of a man without being "sexist".
Don't count on it. Paganism is PC.
Beyond unbelievable.
=== Ouch, that's a tiny bit too far don'cha think?
I don't think so. These "tolerant" sorts so wigged out by Christianity are the first to support the "choice" by which over 40 million lives have been snuffed out who'll never go to a dance ... dressed as Santa or otherwise.
I think that's one reason, actually, it's almost critical that our alleged "pro-life" leadership invariable seem to have pro-abort wives. They wish to keep us in "agree to disagree" mode where the ongoing holocaust of only the most innocent lives among us are concerned.
Don't worry ... I have no illusions that the table will break anytime soon. That's the real horror right there.
==== There was nothing stopping anyone from having this principal's head on a pike--outside of a lack of balls.
This is one of the times I wish I had a child of my own, actually. I'd have been hellbent for leather had my kid gone to the trouble of costuming to amuse and delight his friends only to have some pointy-headed bully tell him Santa wasn't welcome at the Solstice Holiday party.
That boy's a dead ringer for my NYC sister who never missed an opportunity to cut up thus and entertain. She can attest that hell hath no fury like an older sister standing up for a sibling.
(Nobody beats up on Odie but me ...)
I'm sure the same would go, in spades, where my children were concerned. I applaud their telling the story and demanding an apology but I think the meeting should be out in the open just like the public humiliation of their son.
What a great kid ... I trust this turns him -- and those of his friends who "get it" -- into Sons of Brutus.
sorry ... that last above was for you.
=== Is it very likley that he was ever taught about "traditional" manly virtues? You can't teach a boy to be a man without giving him a definition of a man. And you can't give him a definition of a man without being "sexist".
Hear hear ...
I just had the most heartening conversation today with a young 30-year old black man who's recently home to New Orleans after 24 years in California. Having made up with his own father and purchased a house, he's now working two jobs in order to help galvanize his dream project: a neighborhood center where young men can get guidance and counseling and learn the virtues of honesty, self-respect, respect for others, hope and charity.
His name is Marlin. Keep him in your prayers. I expect great things from him if, for no other reason, than he's an "each one save one" sort. They are too few and far between.
Note, it's "Interim Principal" on the website.
fmuscara@sau21.k12.nh.us
Freep
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