Catholics Attack School Nativity Scene Policy

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In a letter mailed yesterday to Chancellor Joel Klein, the Catholic League is attacking the Department of Education for not allowing nativity scenes to be displayed in schools alongside menorahs and Muslim symbols for Ramadan, which are allowed.

The long-disputed issue was recently revived when a woman sent a letter asking the education department why the schools can display menorahs and the star and crescent but not the crèche. The department’s response — that the policy has been upheld in federal court — is “flatly distorting the truth,” the president of the Catholic League, William Donohue, said in the letter.

“These politicians are hiding under the court decision, saying ‘We don’t have to put the nativity scene in,'” Mr. Donohue said. “That’s true, but they can if they want to.”

In 2006, the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the school policy, but emphasized that it was not deciding whether a school could ever include a nativity scene.

Mr. Donohue added: “We should certainly be inclusive and let the Christians display the nativity scene, since the court did not stop us from doing that.”

The school policy prohibits images of religious figures or deities, but allows Christmas trees, kinaras, dreidels, menorahs, and the star and crescent, a spokeswoman for the education department, Marge Feinberg, said.

“Our holiday policy was upheld by the courts and our policy does not allow for the crèche,” Ms. Feinberg said in an e-mail message.

In June, Council Member Tony Avella, a Democrat of Queens who is Roman Catholic, announced a resolution to amend the education department’s holiday display policy to allow displays of the crèche alongside the Jewish and Muslim symbols.

“The Department of Education cannot decide for the Christians what represents their religious faith,” Mr. Avella said yesterday. “In this case, it is the crèche that represents the faith.” He said he is working to garner support for the resolution.


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