A Texas school district says an employee forced her religious beliefs on students after she decorated an office door with a scene from the cherished holiday classic, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
Dedra Shannon, who works at Patterson Middle School in Killeen, was told she had to remove a door-length poster featuring Linus, a scrawny tree and this beautiful recitation of the true meaning of Christmas spoken by Linus.
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior which is Christ the Lord.”
Dedra Shannon’s poster was well-received among the staff and students – but a few days later she was told by the principal that the decorations had to come down because non-Christian students might be offended or feel uncomfortable.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused the Killeen Independent School District of violating the state’s Merry Christmas Law. That law stipulates that no school official in Texas can silence a Biblical reference to Christmas, but the school district defended its actions.
In a statement, the school district said, “Our employees are free to celebrate the Christmas and Holiday season in the manner of their choosing,” “However, employees are not permitted to impose their personal beliefs on students.”
As Todd Starnes of Fox News pointed out, “The district did not explain how Shannon was imposing her personal beliefs on students. There are no allegations she refused entry to anybody. There are no reports that she forced young people to bow down to Linus. There was nothing of the sort.”