Upset parents say school officials at Garfield Elementary School in Clovis have overstepped their boundaries. They say staff held an emergency meeting Wednesday, to tell teachers they can no longer wear religious symbols, such as crosses. The meeting came after a parent who is an Athiest complained to staff.
“I think it's ridiculous. I think they should be allowed to wear their symbols if they want. I think any religion should be allowed to wear a symbol if they want, even if it's just because it's a pretty piece of jewelry, expressed Liz Morales. Her granddaughter attends Garfield Elementary.
Parent, Khrysten Kent, said, “I think that it is important we abide by our 1st amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion, regardless of what anyone's religion is.”
According to the district's policy, teachers and staff who wear religious symbols could very well be in the wrong. The policy reads in part, "Staff should be highly sensitive to their obligation not to encourage or discourage religious development of any student in whatever tradition the student embraces."
The policy goes on to state, "Staff, when acting in an official capacity, shall not endorse, encourage, or solicit religious or anti-religious expression or activities among students."
But what's getting parents even more upset, is the way they say the school handled the issue. Parents say when staff held the emergency meeting, they left students at the playground, unattended.
“I went to take my daughter to school and all the kids were unsupervised and it's not like them,” explained parent, Elisa Hutcheson. She said she called the school’s office to complain.
She explained, “She just said, yes, they're just in a meeting they're coming. And I said all these kids are unsupervised and some boys are getting pushed and are falling and they're getting a little out of control.”
School officials told parents, students on the playground were being supervised.
We tried to contact school officials, but our phone calls were not returned in time for this story.
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