Mass. school denies suspending student for drawing

[proud2BlibKansan]

TAUNTON, Mass. – A Massachusetts school district on Tuesday night denied a father's claims that his son was suspended for drawing a stick figure of Jesus on a cross.

The Taunton School District said in a written statement that the second-grade student was never suspended over the sketch and that a drawing circulated to reporters by the boy's father, Chester Johnson, is not the same one that was discovered by the teacher.

The district also denied that the boy and his classmates had been assigned to draw something that reminded them of Christmas or any other religious holiday.

Johnson, who had said his son was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation after the drawing was discovered, did not return multiple phone messages from The Associated Press on Tuesday night about the school district's statements.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091216/ap_on_re_us/us_jesus_drawing;_ylt=An..RSagdh7Nzx9geEKoTyZ0fNdF

[meegbear]

1. I had a feeling there was more to this story ...

the way it was reported earlier this week on the local news stations was too "cut and dry".

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. There is always more to these stories

Unfortunately the media latches on to the parent version which almost always begins: "My child was suspended unfairly!!" Or "My child's teacher is the MEANEST person on the planet!"

[baldguy]

2. A Good Christian™ like Mr Johnson wouldn't *LIE*!

Would he?

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. Never

:)

[Lerkfish]

5. so, help me out here. it wasn't because of the sketch, but it was because of the sketch

that wasn't being shown to the media?

both sides in this thing seem to be contradicting themselves.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. This is not the sketch he drew in school

Dad is showing the media a different picture than the one the school was concerned about. No, the school hasn't gone into details about the picture that concerned them.

But this picture is disturbing enough, IMO. If a 2nd grader showed me a picture of himself on a cross with an X for each eye you can bet your ass I would report it to the school counselor at the very least.

The fact that the dad lied is another red flag.

[Lerkfish]

7. you didn't get my point: the school is also lying

because they say the child was not punished for a drawing, but then they say they punished him for a different drawing.... not sure I"m communicating effectively, but the school wants it both ways: its wants to deny that was the basis of the punishment, but they also want to the say the original drawing was punishable, without producing it.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. He wasn't punished

His parents were notified because of his drawing. I think the school did the right thing.

We also don't know that he was told he couldn't come back till he had a psych eval. For one thing, schools can't legally do that. Then there is the dad lying about the drawing.