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Page: Profile: Wren's Nest News Local
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Article: 17822
[Pagan]
Date Posted:
5/2/2007
10:03:06 am EDT
Wvox Stats
Views: 9,348
RSS: 20,006
Comments: 33
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Hanover Teen Sent Home For Pentagram On Cheek
Author: Melanie Csepiga Source: Munster Times (IN)
Title: HANOVER TEEN SENT HOME FOR PENTAGRAM ON CHEEK
The parents of a 16-year-old Hanover Central High School freshman say they expect an apology from school officials for sending their daughter home Tuesday for wearing a pagan symbol to celebrate a religious holiday.
Andy Pecenke, of Cedar Lake, said his daughter Sky Holeman has been a practicing pagan for three to four years.
The pentagram his daughter wore below her eye on her upper cheek is about the size of a quarter, Pecenke said. "They told her it was too distracting," he said.
"They don't send kids home on Ash Wednesday," Pecenke said.
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Community Thoughts: There are 33 comments posted | Reverse Sort |
| Very Hot Issue Here | May 4th. at 9:31:12 pm EDT
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Rowyn (Chesterton, Indiana) - Email Me
Just my own opinion...
The student states that the school and students took away 3 pentacles of hers in the past. How many did the school take exactly? If this is really the case, then I can see where she is justified in painting a pentagram on her face. The problem is, the article doesn't give us these facts.
If the school doesn't take issue with the Pagan religion and isn't discriminating, am I to assume they are also claiming they didn't take away her pentacles?
The school could have handled this much better than what they did.
Some are arguing that based on her parents being Druid that Druids don't use the pentagram as a religious symbol, therefore, they ask why she had it on her face - hinting perhaps that this was a stunt. She states in the article she is Pagan, her parents state they are Druid. So because you have Druid parents you aren't allowed to wear a pentagram?
I guess it all stems on whether or not the school did indeed confiscate pentacles from her earlier.
I know the local Pagan association did NOT refuse to get involved. The local Pagan association is an umbrella organization - there are many different groups under one name, as well as individuals. At no time did anyone refuse to get involved as far as I know. The one person who spoke out that the school had a right to make her remove the pentagrams from her face also stated that she was going to attend the next school board meeting.
As far as I can tell, there really isn't much of a need for anyone on the outside to even get involved. It sounds as though her parents have everything covered. Google the father's name and you'll soon see he's made sure the incident was covered by every newspaper in Indiana. An ACLU lawyer was quoted in the article, leading me to believe that the lawyer is in contact with the family.
In the schools in my area, kids are allowed to wear temporary tattoos on their faces - every school has their own definition of "distraction". If the ACLU is involved, they have the facts and will take the appropriate action necessary. And until we, the public, learn those facts, it's my own opinion that we need to wait before taking any action.
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| Not The Real Reason | May 4th. at 12:48:29 am EDT
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NOVA (New Brunswick, New Jersey) - Email Me
I didn't have to read the 'Full Article' as the last shown sentence said it all.
The excuse the school gave, that her Pentacle was "too disctracting" was NOT the real reason. Obviously they are trying to cover themselves legally and that is the best they came up with. We all know it's because of religious prejudice.
I lost a job once, shortly after revealing my religion. Of course my boss manuveured the scenario he used to fire me. It's very difficult to 'prove' discrimination and they all know it.
:-\
So much for America, the home of the 'Free'?
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| Predictable | May 4th. at 12:26:26 am EDT
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Glen (Hessville, Indiana) - Email Me
I live in the central area, and unfortunately I am in no way suprised. Not only is it a very (Christian) religious environment, but when I brought up the subject of taking action to the local pagan association they refused to take any action.
Why wouldn't they discriminate against this child if they know that the fellow members of her faith won't stand up for her. I am presently trying to figure out what the coven I belong to and I can do to help with situation. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know. I have already emailed the ACLU and sent emails to the school boards, but that's all I can think of.
Unfortunately I don't know this young lady, or her family but she is definately in our thoughts.
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| From What I Understand ... | May 3rd. at 11:20:09 am EDT
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Cheryl Grant (Oakville, Ontario) - Email Me
any dress that is "distracting" and "different from the rest of the school populace" is forbidden. I understand, to some extent, why they do this -- especially in the States where gang-related colours are present.
However, I am shocked by some of the responses here.
Even if she wore the pent on her face as an "in your face, I'm a witch and want you all to know about it" snub to the established authority in the school, as Pagans, you would think that we would support her right to freedom of speech, at the very least.
If she were a born-again Christian wearing a quarter-sized cross on her face to snub her nose at the rules, I'm sure the born-again Christians would defend her right to do so. And lets be honest here ... if a born-again Christian child were to do that, the school wouldn't have batted an eye at it.
I'm sure the child in question didn't know about the rule against this ... how many kids read the manual of rules and regulations for the school board? Not one that I can think of.
I support her right to free speech ... just as I would support a Christian childs right to free speech.
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| Here's What I Sent To The School Board | May 3rd. at 10:59:52 am EDT
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jim (orlando, Florida) - Email Me
I believe I have the pleasure of addressing the Hanover Central High School Board in Hanover, Indiana.
Recently, a HS student was sent home for wearing a pentacle painted on her face for Beltaine (May Day) .
May Day has been celebrated for at least 5000 years (of written records) by many cultures and religions. Beltaine celebrations obviously pre-date Christian Easter celebrations by thousands of years (which is where the Easter bunny, eggs, bright colors, maypoles, etc. come from) .
If it is your school policy to suspend anyone who paints their face for any reason, then you acted reasonably - however if you have ever let a Christian child have ashes on their head for Ash Wednesday, or allowed students to wear crosses, or any other form of religious expression, then what you have done here is discrimination, pure and simple.
There is a Pagan/Wiccan anti-defamation organization, just as there is a Jewish anti-defamation organization. I would suggest that the principal apologize to the young lady in front of the assembled student body before you become more acquainted with said organization than you would like.
thank you for your time,
jim
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| Our Kids | May 3rd. at 10:38:02 am EDT
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jim (orlando, Florida) - Email Me
(those that are pagan, they got to chose their own paths) usually wore a crescent moon for beltaine & samhain - or a pentacle as a pendant..
I looked up Hanover Central High in Indiana,
and I believe these are the correct email addresses for the school board members (as shown on the school web site ( [Web LINK] )
twilkening@hanover.k12.in.us,rpetyko@hanover.k12.in.us,rhelton@hanover.k12.in.us,mkaper@hanover.k12.in.us,csheehy@hanover.k12.in.us
perhaps someone would like to send them an email? I'm going to....
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| The Thing | May 3rd. at 10:15:37 am EDT
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Mysteries Child (Garfield, Arkansas) - Email Me
I don't know what kind of behavior might or might not have gone with it...
...but from what I can gather from the news article, the student is in the right and the school is in the wrong.
It is not the thing itself that it distracting; the thing itself is no more distracting than anything else (like, yes, a cross of ashes on the forehead) that one might wear upon one's face.
It's the attitudes and reactions that people have toward the thing that are distracting. True, it would be easier to remove the thing than to rememdy the attitudes...
...but sometimes there is a vast difference between what is right and what is easy.
As things stand right now, I'm proud of the family for wanting nothing more than an apology from the school and equal freedom. I hope that, as this progresses, it will stay that way...
...but somehow, I doubt it. Seems like it almost never does. I support-- I well near demand-- the right to equal expression for people of all belief structures. And yet I see the trend-- and maybe the demand itself-- ending, not in freedom for all, but in freedom for none.
Oh, well. MAYBE THIS TIME...
*sigh*
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| Oh | May 3rd. at 5:53:06 am EDT
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Ravenowl (Amboy, Oklahoma) - Email Me
I just love this. How does absolutely anyone here know what is required of her sect? hmm hmm come on now. Maybe just maybe it is required of her faith. There is absolutely no set doctrine on her faith. So how can absolutely anyone say its not required. That is an assumption.
So what if she was being all up in their faces. It was not distracting. How could a one inch pentacle be distracting. She wore it to express her religious nature. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. So what if she could have worn a necklase and got away with it. She choose to do it her way.
The details on her faith was absotuly minimal. So anyone saying it was a stunt is just a coward. Get this. Students can protest and do protest, so even if it was that she has every right to do it.
Another commenter made the point of the whole week being overkill basically. Yes it was, when I was in school and wore something I wasnt supposed to. One if it was a shirt, I had to turn it inside out. If not I had to go home and change and come back. Sent home for a week. What is the meaning of that. I have a mind to go down to that district and sue them myself.
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| I Really Didn't Have An Opinion Until.... | May 3rd. at 2:16:22 am EDT
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antares (fort scott, Kansas) - Email Me
I read the comments and saw the girl's mother state that they have kept her out of school until friday. She is missing a whole week of school! THAT is discrimination. She needs to sue. They should have had her wash it off and stay in school. Another school taking their power too far. Ya send them home to change their clothes and they are back in an hour. You don't keep them home for a week! I can't tell if the girl was right or wrong, but I KNOW the school was wrong.
Bressed Be
Antares
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| Whoa | May 3rd. at 12:42:04 am EDT
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karrie9 (Kenosha, Wisconsin) - Email Me - Web
I haven’t seen this condemnation for kids wearing school logos on their cheeks in support of school sports (something I have seem at schools) – not unless they’re routing for the wrong team.
Pagans have no wearable musts comparable to ashes on the face on Ash Wednesday. We don’t even have any popes and we often admonish to “question everyone and everything” even as we treasure good teachers and HP’s, or what have you.
Part (part!) of the reason the VA pentagram took so long to get approved?
"..The VA sent an email reply and indicated that all that was needed was 'a formal request from an ordained Rabbi, Priest, or Minister including detailed information on the emblem as well as a graphic.'" It took four years to get any word back after they sent that in promptly...and nearly ten to get the VA cemetery pentagram approved. [Web LINK]
Schools have asked for letters from an Ordained Rabbi, Priest, or Minister in regards to student religious matters as well.
Supposedly, religious hierarchy and their dictated norms are the norm. So is equating religion with faith or religious practitioner with "devout" ____, and that is related because many are saying that this Pagan child didn’t **have to** do this as a devout follower.
And yet…Pagan religions are not second class religions in comparison.
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| Thoughts | May 2nd. at 11:45:53 pm EDT
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Erihu (Sunset Beach, North Carolina) - Email Me
I have to agree that this instance seems like a violation of 'dress code', and not a religious issue. And that there is really no reason, other than being in someone's face, why the girl had to do this. Why not simply wear a Pentacle necklace? I also agree that you cannot compare this to a Catholic and Ash Wednesday. That is required for a devout Catholic. Having a Pentacle drawn on the face is NOT required for a Pagan.
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| ... | May 2nd. at 8:08:51 pm EDT
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Draken (Bronx, New York) - Email Me - Web
Sue the school district.
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| Questions... | May 2nd. at 5:48:24 pm EDT
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Gypsy (Zanesville, Ohio) - Email Me
1. Did they know she was Pagan and that it was a religious symbol or did they simply think she was *goth*?
2. Did anyone explain the significance of said pentagram?
Did anyone write a letter to the school and let them know that she was wearing it for religious reasons? It helps to be signed by clergy.
I know that we should not have to go through all this, but remember that if want to exercise our freedoms sometimes we have to go through the motions, otherwise when it does wind up in court they will say the following.
They did not know, they assumed it was goth, which is not a religion, no one bothered to explain it to them and no one ever notified the school and they have no Pagan clergy willing to advise them on Pagan symbols and holidays...as they would call our sabbats. Yeah we all know they are full of crap, but if we think about it we know what they use to excuse themselves..I didn't know the facts and can't comment...and in court its what I said above...they can't give religious freedoms if they don't know its a religious issue...even when we all know there is no way they can't know. The point is they don't want to know, take away that option.
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| Some Thoughts On The Subject. | May 2nd. at 4:40:17 pm EDT
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Vema (Riverside, Missouri) - Email Me
When I was in highschool, I wore my pentacle out all the time and often painted markings on my face in liquid eyeliner. I also knew people who put tattoo's on their faces, though admittedly not a pentacle, quite a bit to support something or just express their opinions. This was only six years ago.
In fact, when I go to festivals and other Pagan events, I still paint stuff on myself. My friend and I painted purple spirals and hand prints all over each other's bodies for a ritual at HPF two years ago and it was wonderful.
One thing I DO agree with, however, is that though the pentacle was a symbol of her religion, it wasn't a specifically Beltane related symbol. Although, come to think of it, all the Beltane symbols I can think of would have been MORE inappropriate. *grin*
Vema
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| Not Quite Enough Facts | May 2nd. at 3:40:56 pm EDT
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Riding A Pale Horse (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) - Email Me
I don't see enough facts in the article to make any type of firm decision on this one way or the other. The quote about Ash Wed is vague at best. If the school allows students to keep an ash mark on thier face throughout the day but then asks another student to remove a drawn pentacle because it's distracting, I'd have to side with the student. Not that it's entirely religious discrimination, but it would be a form of discrimination. The rule seems to state that they don't allow anything that would be "distracting or inappropriate", and ash on the face would definitely fall under both those catagories (one because the ash mark would be obvious, and two because if allowed, it would be a support of a religion in a public school) . If other students are required to remove said ash marks, then the pentacle is no exception.
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