|
IT IS OKAY |
IT’S NOT OKAY |
| To recognize and provide
information about holidays, focusing on how and when they are celebrated,
their origins, histories and generally agreed-upon meanings [TGRPS] |
To celebrate religious holidays [TGRPS]
To celebrate religious holidays in the form of religious worship or
other practices [ADL] |
| To teach about a holiday if it
furthers a genuine secular program of education, is presented objectively,
and does not have the effect of advancing or inhibiting religion [ADL-with
court citation 1] |
To use the study of religious
holidays as an opportunity to proselytize or otherwise inject personal
religious beliefs into the discussion [TGRPS] |
| To teach about the religious
aspects and the religious meaning of religious holidays for adherents, and
that others may celebrate only the secular aspects of those holidays [USDE] |
To observe holidays as
religious events or promote such observance by students [USDE] |
| To focus on more than one religion
and religious holiday [ADL] |
To focus only on a single dominant
religion’s holidays [ADL] |
| To use symbols such as crosses,
crèches and menorahs as teaching aids in the classroom provided that the
symbols are displayed as examples of the cultural and religious heritage
of the holiday, and are temporary in nature [ADL |
To use religious decorations year
round [ADL-with court citation 2] |
| To use (with care) Christmas trees
or a Hanukkah menorah as decorations (More
information on holiday symbols.) |
To use religious symbols (e.g., ,
crèches) as seasonal decorations [ADL-with court
citation 3] |
| To allow students to choose to
create artwork with religious or nonreligious symbols [TGRPS] |
To present expressive assignments
like artwork, plays and reports that are presented publicly in a manner
that an observer might think that the project is endorsed by the school [ADL] |
| To include music, art, literature,
and drama with religious themes when teaching about holidays, provided
that their overall effect is not to endorse religion and that they are
presented in a religiously neutral, prudent and objective manner, and
relate to sound, secular educational goals [ADL] |
To employ material having a
religious theme without knowing the relationship to promoting a secular
program of study [OABITAR] |
| To excuse a student when the
religious or nonreligious beliefs of students or their parents conflict
with the content of classroom activity [USDE] |
To require a youngster’s
participation in a religiously-themed activity to which there is student
or parental objection
Teachers must take care in excusing a student to avoid stigmatizing or
appearing to punish the student (e.g. a student whose parents do not
permit her to take part in a holiday party should not be required to, say,
sit in the hall and do math problems) [ADL] |
More on holiday symbols: Christmas
trees and menorahs have become such secular symbols of the winter holiday season
that their display by a public entity may not be an Establishment Clause
violation. However, it is not at all clear that such displays are permissible in
the public schools. (Regarding a menorah and Christmas tree display, the Court
noted, "when located in a public school, such a display might raise
additional constitutional considerations"). [ADL-with court
citation 3]
Subject Areas
Teaching Values
1 Florey v. Sioux Falls School
Dist. 49-5, 619 F.2d 1311 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 449 U.S. 987 (1980) --back
2 Washegesic v. Bloomingdale Public
Schools, 33 F.3d 679 (6th Cir 1994) --back
3 County of Allegheny v. American
Civil Liberties Union, 492 U.S. 573, 629n69 (1989) (noting the special
Establishment Clause sensitivities present in public school) --back
