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A Fourth Grade Teacher Made a Student Remove His Ash Wednesday Cross

A Fourth Grade Teacher Made a Student Remove His Ash Wednesday Cross

When a fourth grade student in Utah showed up to school on Ash Wednesday, he noticed he was the only one in the class who had a cross on his forehead.

William McLeod, like many Catholics and Lent-observing Christians, wore a cross on his forehead to recognize the first day of Lent. However, when he arrived in his classroom, his teacher forced him to remove it while other students watched. The teacher reportedly called the cross “inappropriate.”

The boy’s family wasn’t happy to hear about what happened and a school district spokesperson quickly apologized, saying he didn’t know why the teacher forced him to wipe the cross off. According to KSTU, the teacher might face further discipline.

The story does have a happy ending though. An ordained deacon also works for the school district, and, after asking for the family’s permission, put another cross on the student. His teacher also gave him a hand-written note, apologizing for the incident. 

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