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So some atheist parents didn't want their child to hear about Santa or be exposed to Christmas and Hanukkah decorations at school. Got into arguments with the staff who eventually got sick of dealing with them and barred the poor kid from preschool. Parents were subsequently awarded $12k from the human rights tribunal.
"For instance, when Mangel learned the school planned to include clay elf decorations in its December festivities, he wrote an email to the board objecting, and suggested some "atheist Christmas ornaments" that would better represent the views of his family.That included one that simply says "Skeptic," and another that depicted the World Trade Center in New York with the caption "Atheists don't fly airplanes into buildings.""
These parents were getting pretty ridiculous with their demands, such as demanding Santa Claus not be discussed.
I don't think barring the kid from school was the right thing to do, but man these poor teachers and staff had to deal some real a-hole parents. My family is atheist / agnostic and we still respect other religions. I wouldn't feel my child is being indoctrinated just because other kids are allowed to celebrate their beliefs and traditions. They weren't being forced to recite prayers, or take communion, or anything of that sort... Just decorations and lighting a menorah.
Anyway, the father realty went off and did some other stuff like marching around throwing Nazi salutes and whatnot as well.
Read all about it here...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/atheist-bc-human-rights-1.4943787
"For instance, when Mangel learned the school planned to include clay elf decorations in its December festivities, he wrote an email to the board objecting, and suggested some "atheist Christmas ornaments" that would better represent the views of his family.That included one that simply says "Skeptic," and another that depicted the World Trade Center in New York with the caption "Atheists don't fly airplanes into buildings.""
These parents were getting pretty ridiculous with their demands, such as demanding Santa Claus not be discussed.
I don't think barring the kid from school was the right thing to do, but man these poor teachers and staff had to deal some real a-hole parents. My family is atheist / agnostic and we still respect other religions. I wouldn't feel my child is being indoctrinated just because other kids are allowed to celebrate their beliefs and traditions. They weren't being forced to recite prayers, or take communion, or anything of that sort... Just decorations and lighting a menorah.
Anyway, the father realty went off and did some other stuff like marching around throwing Nazi salutes and whatnot as well.
Read all about it here...
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/atheist-bc-human-rights-1.4943787