Sacramento, CA - When 9 year old Spencer Morgan was dropped off at Westvale Elementary School on Monday, the Transformers and Hunger Games enthusiast had no idea that his name would soon be synonymous with political-correctness run amok.
Similar to many children this time of year, Spencer's excitement has been building leading up to Christmas morning on December 25th. However, on Monday, he made what was apparently a terrible mistake. Spencer offered the "wrong greeting, to the wrong person, at the wrong time," according to principal Wendy Cordson.
"Spencer is an exceptional student and has been ever since he began attending Westvale 3 years ago," said Cordson when reached by The Sentinel Dispatch by Skype. "However, on Monday, Spencer clearly broke our code of conduct that we impose this time of year, by wishing several of his classmates a Merry Christmas."
Since 2004, Westvale Elementary has had an explicit code of "holiday conduct" wherein each student is expected to refrain from offering one another "any type of holiday greeting, lest it offend a student of another religion, or no religion at all." In the past 10 years, 4 other students have been reprimanded by the school; Spencer is only the latest.
According to Spencer's father Bradley, Spencer was sent home with a note, informing him that his child had inadvertently wished a Muslim classmate a "Merry Christmas," to which the unnamed classmate took great offence. The subsequent punishment is that Spencer has received a two-week suspension from classes - which effectively means that he will not return until 2018 - and forced to remove festive decorations which he had placed on the inside of his locker. "Westvale does not allow any visible or verbal signs of any of the religious holidays this time of year, whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa."
In addition, the basketball enthusiast will be required to undergo 5 days of sensitivity training before returning to the school in the new year.
Bradley and Kim Spencer are considering their legal options as of press time.
From Our Los Angeles Bureau
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