Taunton Superintendent denies suspending student over drawing

(NECN: Taunton, Mass.) - There are conflicting reports tonight surrounding an eight-year-old boy and his drawing depicting Jesus on a cross. It has been reported on NECN and by several other media outlets that the second grader was apparently suspended for the stick figure picture. Tonight the Superintendent of schools in Taunton, Massachusetts says that is inaccurate and that the picture given out by the boy's family was not the one discovered by the teacher, and the boy was never suspended. The boy's father says his son was punished for a drawing he was asked to make about the holiday. “They owe my family an apology and the kid an apology and they need to work with my son on the best of their ability to get him back to where he was before all this happened. They traumatized him." <a href="http://www.necn.com/Boston/New-England/2009/12/15/Boy-sent-home-from-school-over/1260907876.html" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> for more from the boy’s father. Tonight the superintendent of Taunton Public Schools, Julie Hackett issued a statement in response to the father's allegations: It has been reported in the media that a student was suspended over drawing a rendering of Jesus Christ on the cross. This report is totally inaccurate, and the student was never suspended. This incident occurred nearly two weeks ago, it was handled appropriately, and the school staff and family had been working together in a cooperative and positive manner. The drawing published in various media outlets is not the same drawing that was discovered by the teacher. It has not been established whether the drawing was actually completed in school. Contrary to what has been reported, there was no request or assignment by the teacher for students to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas or any religious holiday. The inaccuracies in the original media story have resulted in a great deal of criticism and scrutiny of the system that is unwarranted. In this case, as in any other case involving the well being of a student, the administration acted in accordance with the school department's well-established protocol. This protocol is centered upon the student's care, well being and educational success. The protocol includes a review of the student's records, discussions with staff, central administration, school psychologists and other community resources. Decisions were made only after this protocol had been completed, including a consultation with a veteran staff member with a background in clinical psychology and a Ph.D. It is unfortunate that the actions of our district staff have been classified as "religious" in nature when, in fact, they were based solely on the well being of the student. At this time of year, Christmas is one of many religious and secular holidays. Taunton, known as The Christmas City, takes pride as a community in celebrating this Christian holiday together with Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and many others. In the school district, it is our goal to provide the opportunity for all students to be well-rounded, and it is our responsibility to help them attain their social, emotional and academic goals regardless of their religious affiliation. Administrators in the Taunton Public Schools have an open-door policy and a willingness to discuss and examine any parental concerns and/or actions taken by the teachers, administrators, and other staff. It is difficult for us to address issues when they originate in a media news story, and it is unfortunate that this is the path that was taken in this case. As with any issue involving a child, regardless of a parent's choice to discuss it in the media, it is the school district's responsibility to act first in the best interests of the student and family, which we will continue to do in this matter. We will not now, nor will we ever, compromise our obligation in this regard.