Christmas returns to an Oregon school after the elementary school principal realized the effect her decision had on the students and the public.
Principal Michelle Zundel of Bellview Elementary School in Ashland, Oregon, has reversed a prior decision to ban a “holiday giving tree” from her school because she initially feared it might be associated with religion. Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel wrote a letter outlining the law and the Constitution and tells OneNewsNow that Zundel was trying in her original decision to be sensitive and inclusive, but the effect was the opposite of what she intended.
Responding to the letter, the principal commented that the incident fortunately did not interfere with the tree’s project of providing 25 families with gifts and food. She further explained that “ironically, the reason I removed the tree was to create a greater sense of inclusion in our school. That decision had exactly the opposite effect.”
Staver notes that the Liberty Council applauds Zundel for “making the right decision to return Christmas to Bellview Elementary School.” He says the school principal “realized that she offended a vast majority of people, and she decided to do the right thing. She says she has an ongoing responsibility to reflect on the results of her actions, consider the feedback, and occasionally change course — and she has done so.”
The school previously became a target as part of the Liberty Counsel “Friend or Foe” campaign to educate and litigate, if necessary, to make sure that Christmas and the real reason for the season is not censored.
(OneNewsNow)