Parents rally for banned Nativity scene
They want to keep their tradition alive at Christmas program, despite decision of Baldwin school board based on DeMent's ruling
By AVANI PATEL
Staff ReporterBON SECOUR — About two dozen anxious Swift school parents gathered Saturday to find a way to restore to their annual Christmas program the traditional Nativity scene that was dropped because of a federal judge's order.
They learned Wednesday that school board officials had decided to disallow the Nativity scene in light of U.S. District Judge Ira DeMent's recent banning of school-sponsored religious expression in DeKalb County Schools.
And that change has thrown this year's Christmas program, the them of which was supposed to be "Traditions," into limbo.
Karen Nelson remembers taking part in the Christmas program at Swift School as a child. And she remembers the program closing with the Nativity scene. That's just the way it has always been done, Nelson said.
DeMent's ruling on Oct. 30 prohibits "school-organized or officially sanctioned religious activity."
Although many legal experts around the state argue that DeMent's ruling applies only to DeKalb County schools, Baldwin County school officials felt that the Nativity scene should be left out of Swift's Christmas program.
"The decisions are made on the side of caution," said Sen. Albert Libscomb, R-Magnolia Springs.
The question of whether Judge DeMent's ruling even applied to Swift was raised again at the meeting Saturday.
"Is there a law that says we cannot have our play?" asked Julia Storm angrily. Mrs. Storm, whose son Sawyer is in the second grade at Swift, also said that Swift principal Linda Capps should never have contacted the school board to ask whether the Nativity scene was allowable in light of DeMent's ruling.
Betsy Lipscomb, whose mother Maries Carver retired as principal of Swift in 1984, defended Mrs. Capps. "It is her job to know what is legal," she said.
"Ignorance is not an excuse for disobeying the law," added Mrs. Nelson in defense of Mrs. Capps.
But the parents at Saturday's meeting said that they have no intention of breaking the law.
"We just want to have a Nativity scene that we've had for 50 years," explained Mrs. Storm.
Besides, anyone who wants to keep their children out of the program can easily do so, they said. A permission slip is sent home with every child so that parents can decide if their children should participate in the Christmas program.
While the children do practice for the program during class time, the Swift Parent-Teacher Organization donates the props, does the decorations and provides the money for the show.
An alternate activity is provided for children who are not taking part in the program.....
The Mobile Register, Sunday November 30, 1997
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