Jesus the reason for the Suspension

Maxham Elementary School Student’s depiction of Jesus on the Cross which got him suspended from school

A Taunton father is outraged after his 8-year-old son was sent home from school and required to undergo a psychological evaluation after drawing a stick-figure picture of Jesus Christ on the cross.—Gerry Tuoti

In the spirit of Christmas officials at Lowell M Maxham Elementary School In Taunton Massachusetts apparently believe that Jesus’ death on the cross was violent. Apparently they also believe that someone should be punished for it.

So after a 2nd grade teacher asked student’s in class to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas one little 8-year-old boy responded by sketching a picture of Jesus’ death on the Cross as what he was reminded of when he thought of Christmas. (see picture above) (see story)

Maxham School principal Rebecca Couet and the 2nd grade teacher, whose name is being withheld, thought the stick figure depiction of Christ’s death on the cross was violent so they suspended the little 8-year-old student for three days and ordered him to submit to a psychological evaluation. Apparently these officials missed Mel Gibson’s 2004 movie The Passion of the Christ.

For those of you, Readers, who see this as yet another example of teachers and school administrators Gone Wild you might consider doing something about this blatant encroachment on freedom of thought.

Yes it is an obvious attack on religion and freedom of expression too. But the insidious act of ordering a psychological evaluation goes directly to controlling thought.

Maxham Elementary School is a K-4 public school serving 219 students with 15 Teachers, two teachers are 2nd Grade teachers.

Superintendent Julie Hackett speaking for the school said, “Generally speaking, we have safety protocols in place. If a situation warrants it, we ask for outside safety evaluations if we have particular concerns about a child’s safety. We followed all the protocols in our system.” (Taunton Public Schools)


Since the good people of Massachusetts are treating Christianity like it is a foreign cultural expression of which they know absolutely nothing about. Perhaps the people of Massachusetts at large and the Taunton Public Schools specifically need some sensitivity training. This kind of ignorance about cultural beliefs can not be tolerated. And it hasn’t been in the past.

What should be recommended to all of the school administrators involved, in the traumatizing of this little 2nd grade boy, is some culture sensitively training for school officials who apparently need to learn about the foreign American cultural religion Christianity.

And in addition Christianity should be taught in the Massachusetts schools as the apparent foreign culture that it has become. This is so that when teachers come across the word or name Jesus or a picture of Jesus on a cross or a bible they won’t be so confused or confuse these references with potential violence rather then the depicting of a biblical events that occurred over 2,000 years ago.

Also, you, Reader, might call Superintendent Julie Hackett and suggest sensitivity training regarding the ignorance in her school system regarding the cultural belief Christianity. This training is needed for the entire school system.

I’m sure you’ll agree that sensitivity training is warranted for the Massachusetts schools system so that no other American child will be traumatized for their cultural beliefs by an over-reacting government school system and authorities within that system.