The Rutherford Institute Defends Second Grader Forced by School Officials to Undergo Psych Evaluation for Drawing Crucified Jesus
December 17, 2009
TAUNTON, Mass., Dec. 16 /Christian Newswire/ — The Rutherford Institute has come to the defense of the family of a second grader who was allegedly forced by school officials to undergo psychological evaluations after he drew a picture of a stick figure Jesus on the cross with X’s over his eyes.
A copy of Jalen’s drawing is available at http://www.rutherford.org/.
“This is a case of overreaction by school officials,” said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. “Jalen’s drawing was simply a reflection of something he saw at a Christmas light show. The psychological damage to this family is appalling, and it is a clear-cut violation of their constitutional rights.”
On December 2, 2009, Jalen Cromwell, a second grader at Lowell M. Maxham School in Taunton, Mass., was taken to the principal’s office where he was questioned without the presence of, or even notification to, his parents regarding a drawing he had made earlier that day depicting a stick figure Jesus on the cross with X’s over his eyes. The drawing reflected Jalen’s impressions about a recent family trip to the Christmas lighting festival at LaSallette. However, Jalen’s parents were later informed that, in keeping with school policy, he would not be permitted to return to school until he had undergone a psychological evaluation. Jalen has since informed his parents that he no longer trusts his teachers and does not want to continue attending the school due to the anxiety caused by this incident, a sentiment shared by his parents.
After being contacted by Jalen’s family, attorneys for The Rutherford Institute agreed to intervene. In a letter to the superintendent of the Taunton Public Schools, Institute attorneys pointed out that the effective suspension of Jalen from school deprived him and his parents of their constitutional rights to due process and punished Jalen for engaging in expressive activity protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. In light of the fact that this incident has made Jalen’s continued attendance at Maxham School untenable, Institute attorneys have also requested that the school arrange for Jalen to be transferred to an out-of-district school and for his parents to be compensated for the associated transportation costs. The Rutherford Institute has requested a response to its demand letter by 5 pm, EST, on Tuesday, December 22, 2009.
The Rutherford Institute is an international, nonprofit civil liberties organization committed to defending constitutional and human rights.
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I AM WRITTING YOU FROM BRUNSWICK GEORGIA. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR STANDING UP FOR THIS CHILDS RELIGIOUS RIGHTS…I HAVE A TEN YEAR OLD SON AT THE AGE OF FIVE YEARS WENT WITH US TO A CHRISTMAS STORY FROM THE BIRTH TO THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS. TO THIS VERY DAY HE IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT OUR SAVIOR GAVE FOR US ALL. IF YOU WERE TO ASK JACOB TO DRAW YOU A PICTURE OR TELL YOU WHAT CHRITMAS MEANS TO HIM. I KNOW HE WOULD TELL YOU ITS ABOUT A BIRTH, A DEATH AND A RESURRECTION… THANK GOD THERE IS SOMEONE STANDING UP FOR HIS RIGHTS…MAY YOU BE BLESSED THIS HOLIDAY …MERRY CHRISTMAS..EVEN IF ALL THE NEWS IS RETRACTED THE STORY CAUSED A WAVE ACROSS THIS NATION…THANK YOU AGAIN..
There may not be anything to this story after all. A notice on the Taunton Public School website, http://www.tauntonschools.org/news.cfm?story=2760&school=0, and a story in the Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/12/16/taunton_officials_dispute_reports_on_jesus_sketch/, tell a different story.
According to these sources, the boy was not asked to draw a Christmas picture, but a picture of himself. He drew himself dead on a cross, with his name above the figure. The school was alarmed at this, so they followed up. The principal was notified and the boy was seen by a school psychologist. The school says he was not suspended.
The Globe story says the boy’s father changed his story several times, and is now seeking an apology and “a small lump sum” he says he is owed. The photograph of the boy’s picture being circulated on the Web is allegedly not the one the boy drew.
They point out Taunton has been known for many years as the”Christmas City” – other reports say it has been such for many decades. These reports suggest that the story was intentionally misrepresented by a local paper, that had disputes with the schools.
So, this may be much ado about nothing.
No one but the boy will ever know the whole truth. The only thing that seems a little weird is that the school claims he wrote his name above the drawing thereby stating it was him on the cross but he could have simply been writing his name on his drawing.