Brynn Williams, California first-grader ‘not allowed to talk about Bible’ during Christmas class assignment
California’s Helen Hunt-Jackson Elementary School has landed in the center of controversy after a teacher allegedly “showed undue hostility toward a first grader’s faith last month during a presentation about holiday traditions.”
According to a press release from Advocates For Faith & Freedom, Brynn Williams was speaking to her class about her family’s Christmas tradition when her teacher abruptly stopped the address and said that Williams is “not allowed to talk about the Bible in school.” (Emphasis added- BBJ, The Dispatch)
The child was sent home with a “share” bag. Her teacher reportedly assigned the class a simple task: bring in something from home that is representative of how each family celebrates Christmas.
Williams returned with the family’s Star of Bethlehem tree topper and began telling her class that her family keeps Jesus at the center of Christmas.
“Our Christmas tradition is to put a star on top of our tree. The star is named the Star of Bethlehem,” Williams reportedly said. “The three kings followed the star to find baby Jesus, the Savior of the world.”
Advocates For Faith & Freedom claims that the teacher stopped Williams and told her to sit down before finishing the remainder of her speech, which was purportedly set to conclude with John 3:16
The group sent a letter to the Temecula Valley Unified School District asking that educators stop “expressing disapproval or hostility toward religion or toward religious viewpoints expressed by students.”
In addition to this blanket request, Advocates For Faith & Freedom is also asking that Williams receive a written apology and that she be allowed to finish her speech in front of her peers.
“The disapproval and hostility that Christian students have come to experience in our nation’s public schools has become epidemic,” said Robert Tyler, General Counsel for Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “I hope that TVUSD will take the lead role in adopting a model policy to prohibit this abuse that has become all too common place for religious-minded students.”
The district provided an statement to TheBlaze Tuesday afternoon.
“The Temecula Valley Unified School District respects all students’ rights under the Constitution and takes very seriously any allegation of discrimination,” it read. “Due to the fact that District officials are currently investigating the allegations, it would be inappropriate to provide further comment at this time.”
