Forced to remove ashes on ash Wednesday

[jimnyc]

I would have told them all to buzz off, but kids are more intimidated at that age. Any teacher should be aware of what they are and why folks have them on Wednesday, even if they aren't believers. And of not, someone in the office should know. I can only assume she did this to be spiteful.

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A 4th-grader’s Teacher Forced Him to Wash off His Ashes after Mass on Ash Wednesday

The 9-year-old had no idea that when he went to school that day that his teacher would tell him the cross on his forehead was inappropriate and make him wash the ashes off.

William McLeod who goes to a Utah public school was prepared for questions about the cross he wore on his forehead for Ash Wednesday, but what he didn’t know was that his teacher would make him wash the ashes off in front of all his peers.

“It was really bad,” he told CNN. “I went to the office and I was crying and I felt like I was in trouble.”

William had gone to school directly after an Ash Wednesday Mass at his Catholic Church. The cross was placed on his forehead as a mark of the beginning of Lent, the Christian season of preparation before Easter. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection of Jesus Christ – His suffering and His sacrifice, His life, death, burial and resurrection.

William’s grandmother told him he didn’t have to get ashes if he didn’t want to and if he left them on his forehead at school, people would likely ask him what it was for.

“People are going to look at you like you’ve got dirt on your head,” his grandma told him, “and that’s OK. You explain this is Ash Wednesday and you’re Catholic. And he goes, ‘OK, I want to wear them.’”

She had no idea that just hours after that conversation she would be getting a call from the school’s principal who told her that William’s teacher had asked him what was on his forehead and he told her it as an ash cross for Ash Wednesday. The teacher told him it was “inappropriate…so take it off.”

“I was furious,” she told CNN. “This is who we are. This is part of our life as Catholics.”

Rest - https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists..._campaign=PBWY

[Kathianne]

I would have told them all to buzz off, but kids are more intimidated at that age. Any teacher should be aware of what they are and why folks have them on Wednesday, even if they aren't believers. And of not, someone in the office should know. I can only assume she did this to be spiteful.

--

A 4th-grader’s Teacher Forced Him to Wash off His Ashes after Mass on Ash Wednesday

The 9-year-old had no idea that when he went to school that day that his teacher would tell him the cross on his forehead was inappropriate and make him wash the ashes off.

William McLeod who goes to a Utah public school was prepared for questions about the cross he wore on his forehead for Ash Wednesday, but what he didn’t know was that his teacher would make him wash the ashes off in front of all his peers.

“It was really bad,” he told CNN. “I went to the office and I was crying and I felt like I was in trouble.”

William had gone to school directly after an Ash Wednesday Mass at his Catholic Church. The cross was placed on his forehead as a mark of the beginning of Lent, the Christian season of preparation before Easter. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection of Jesus Christ – His suffering and His sacrifice, His life, death, burial and resurrection.

William’s grandmother told him he didn’t have to get ashes if he didn’t want to and if he left them on his forehead at school, people would likely ask him what it was for.

“People are going to look at you like you’ve got dirt on your head,” his grandma told him, “and that’s OK. You explain this is Ash Wednesday and you’re Catholic. And he goes, ‘OK, I want to wear them.’”

She had no idea that just hours after that conversation she would be getting a call from the school’s principal who told her that William’s teacher had asked him what was on his forehead and he told her it as an ash cross for Ash Wednesday. The teacher told him it was “inappropriate…so take it off.”

“I was furious,” she told CNN. “This is who we are. This is part of our life as Catholics.”

Rest - https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists..._campaign=PBWY

I would have been furious if this was a child or grandchild of mine. With that said, it does seem the school did handle the incident very well. I am certain the 'teacher' has a reprimand in her file, as well she should.

One thing I'm noticing in reading teacher forums and even in associations, the young ones are all about 'rights' and 'righteous anger' for women, minorities, Muslims, etc., yet have no care for what happens to the feelings or rights of Christians, boys, or those out of lockstep with the social justice warriors.

[Gunny]

Damn. Even Marines walk around with ashes on forehead on Ash Wednesday. We would of course give them crap about being unsat in uniform, but it was good-natured.

Who gives a damn? I would have told the teacher to piss off. Yes, even as a 9 years old 4th grader. Call my Dad. Explain it to HIM. My dad was not nice to jackass school officials at all when they were jerking around his time over BS.

Baptists never get to have any fun

[High_Plains_Drifter]

Damn. Even Marines walk around with ashes on forehead on Ash Wednesday. We would of course give them crap about being unsat in uniform, but it was good-natured.

Who gives a damn? I would have told the teacher to piss off. Yes, even as a 9 years old 4th grader. Call my Dad. Explain it to HIM. My dad was not nice to jackass school officials at all when they were jerking around his time over BS.

Baptists never get to have any fun

Our Dads sound like they were a lot alike. My paw was an absolute, no BS kinda guy too, far more on the serious side than someone ready to laugh and joke around, or tolerate a dumbass or wise ass.

[Gunny]

Our Dads sound like they were a lot alike. My paw was an absolute, no BS kinda guy too, far more on the serious side than someone ready to laugh and joke around, or tolerate a dumbass or wise ass.

You did not call my dad at work unless you or an immediate family member was dead or dying. You did not do anything that interfered with his schedule which was his job in the USAF. You mess with that, or get into any kind of trouble on base that might bring negative attention on him from command and you were toast.

And if you were the a-hole wasting his time over his kid doing something he had a Right to? You can stand the f- by. His first assumption was it was you (me) and once you got out real quick that it was not your fault all that pissed off got redirected. And my dad was scary hardass. Everyone thinks I'm a hardass but I got nothing on him in his day.

[High_Plains_Drifter]

You did not call my dad at work unless you or an immediate family member was dead or dying. You did not do anything that interfered with his schedule which was his job in the USAF. You mess with that, or get into any kind of trouble on base that might bring negative attention on him from command and you were toast.

And if you were the a-hole wasting his time over his kid doing something he had a Right to? You can stand the f- by. His first assumption was it was you (me) and once you got out real quick that it was not your fault all that pissed off got redirected. And my dad was scary hardass. Everyone thinks I'm a hardass but I got nothing on him in his day.

Yep... they were alike...

I think my Dad could have probably still whipped my ass when he was 70 years old...

One tough old sons a bitch.