The Public School Grinch

Dr. Paul Kengor and Cory Shreckengost

Christmas is just days away. Aside from malls packed with last-minute shoppers, theaters continue to be filled with patrons lining up for the latest holiday films. Each year, Hollywood eagerly attempts to cash in on the season. Among this year's popular motion pictures is "The Santa Clause 2." While mildly entertaining and largely a harmless movie, it contains a troubling scene. And though a minor moment in a movie, the scene is worth our attention for what it says about a broader campaign -- or, better, what it doesn't say.

In this sequel, the male protagonist -- Scott Calvin, a.k.a Santa Claus -- finds himself struggling to resolve several dilemmas. One of Santa's most pressing predicaments involves his son, who has been added to this year's "naughty" list. In an effort to rectify his son's mischievous behavior, Mr. Calvin attends a parent-principal conference at his boy's school. On his way to the principal's office, he surveys the lack of mirth decking the halls. Where are the Christmas trees and colorful decorations?

During the meeting, an uneasy Mr. Calvin cites the school's ambiance as a contributing factor to his son's dejection and subsequent misconduct. He inquires of the principal, "Have you noticed the hallways in this school? There's not a [Christmas] decoration, not a twinkle-light, not an expression of the happiness and joy that kids are supposed to be feeling this time of year. I mean, what kind of a school are you runnin'?"

Unruffled by the emotional appeal of Santa Claus himself (here undercover), the no-nonsense principal responds, "A public school, Mr. Calvin. A top, academically rated public school in the district. That takes a lot of effort -- and money. And spending any of that money on holiday decorations would take away from the things that truly matter."

The statement, which ends there, is misleading. It suggests the problem faced by the merry souls in this school district is miserly public officials not willing to spend money on schools. It also suggests that schools are in dire need of revenues, in a nation where per-student spending has soared to over $10,000 per year in many districts.

In short, there is not a lack of school funding prohibiting our schools from displaying Christmas decorations. The charge is as phony as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

But that's not our main objection in this article. The Santa-principal exchange masks a genuine problem. The actual culprit, and quite real threat, to Christmas in public schools comes from a handful of effective secular organizations.

Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union have long been committed to erecting a wall of separation between church and state. They've expanded their target from courthouses to schools, specifically the celebration of Christmas in public schools.

Referring to the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution, the ACLU Legal Bulletin states: "It is clear ... from the Supreme Court's cases dealing with public school education, as well as the Court's decisions involving the public display of religious symbols, that the Establishment Clause prohibits public schools from sponsoring holiday observances -- including Christmas programs or Christmas pageants -- that promote or emphasize the religious significance of the holiday."

The ACLU is just one group that actively discourages tolerance of religious symbols in public schools, including the holiday season. When we sought a position statement from a spokesperson for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, she told us, "It is the opinion of Americans United that there is no reason for the schools and cities to display religious symbols because they clearly are a point of contention."

Is this simply hot air blown by the usual secular suspects? No. Their efforts have borne fruit and have a following at local levels.

Consider an example from Minnesota. According to Dr. Marjorie Hawkins, Director of Communications and Community Outreach for Minnesota's St. Cloud Area School District, schools in her district banned Christmas trees after being "questioned by several community members." Under pressure from secularists, Christmas trees have been barred in St. Cloud -- and not because of a lack of school funding.

Not surprisingly, the affront on Christmas decorations is often marked by double standards. According to CNN and a lawsuit filed by the Catholic League, on Nov. 29, a principal in the New York City school system ordered a Christmas tree taken down. The next day, however, she allegedly issued a memo to teachers encouraging them to bring Jewish and Muslim symbols to school. This reported inconsistency is currently generating outrage among Christian groups. Both sides are digging in.

What we're describing here is not Hollywood fiction. It is the real deal. And this is only a very small sample of what's going on around the nation.

Our culture is heavily influenced by what it sees in movies. The writers of "The Santa Clause 2" blew an opportunity to inform parents and kids about the true Grinch that is trying to steal Christmas from public schools.

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Paul Kengor is associate professor of political science at Grove City College. Cory Shreckengost is a policy analyst for the Shenango Institute for Public Policy, a Pennsylvania policy organization devoted to educational issues.

Send comments to: pgkengor@gcc.edu