CHRISTIANS CREATE NATIVITY SCENE FROM DEAD CATS
Dr. Jai Maharaj
By Kathy Helms, Star Staff
The Elizabethton Star, Elizabethton and Carter County, Tennessee
via News Plus
http://www.mantra.com/newsplus
A Christmas Nativity scene created from dead cats by
an anatomy class teacher and her students has caused a
stir at Elizabethton High School, but there was no mal
intent, according to Dr. Jessie Strickland,
superintendent of Elizabethton city schools.
According to a press release from Principal Ed
Alexander, "The Elizabethton High School classroom door-
decorating contest gave students an opportunity to work
as a team with their homeroom teacher with a holiday
spirit activity.
"The Anatomy Class students chose to utilize a holiday
theme (manger scene) with the depiction of characters by
the use of cat cadavers (previously dissected in class as
part of Anatomy lessons). The relationship to the
curriculum was apparent to the instructor and the
students," the press release states.
"The anatomy classroom door decoration apparently
caused different reactions. Most were positive; however
some people were offended. The principal has spoken with
the teacher. The teacher was extremely upset because of
any negative perception," Alexander stated.
One student, who spoke with the STAR, said, "Everybody
was asking if I'd seen (the anatomy teacher's) door. They
said, 'You have to see it. It's really gross!"
The student went with her friend to see it, she said,
and, "It was disgusting. It was nasty. One cat was
hanging from the ceiling as an angel. It had a halo.
There were three dressed as the Wise Men and two as Mary
and Joseph and one in a cradle dressed as Baby Jesus."
The student said it appeared that the dead cats which
depicted Mary, Joseph and the Three Wise Men have sticks
stuck up their rectums to make them stand.
"I just got like a real good glance and then I had to
walk away because it was so nasty," she said.
Another student, who helped take down the display,
said he was not sure whether the cats were on sticks or
whether they were tied to them.
"I really didn't pay no attention to that. I just saw
them and about an hour later I just picked them up and
threw them away, you know, because that ain't right," he
said.
Students who found the display offensive said they
went to the assistant principal and were told, "It's too
late. I can't do anything about it."
Dr. Strickland said Assistant Principal Randy Lacy
denied saying that.
Strickland and Assistant Superintendent Dale Lynch
said they had not been contacted about the display. Dr.
Strickland said the anatomy teacher also was not
approached by the students. Alexander, when contacted
Friday and asked whether he would comment, said: "No,
ma'am, I will not."
Three male students took down the display Thursday
afternoon and were suspended Friday morning. According to
a press release from Alexander late Friday, the
suspensions were not related to vandalism of the display.
"As to the rumor three students were suspended because
they tore down the door decoration, this is false,"
Alexander stated. "Prior to the efforts of the three
students to tear down the display, these individuals (who
were later disciplined) were approached in the hallway
during regular class time (as they did not have
permission to be out of class) by the school principal
and told to go directly back to class.
"They went back in the opposite direction and minutes
later doubled back and destroyed the door decoration.
"Afterwards, after even further investigation, the
three students were punished for gross insubordination
and truancy -- not vandalism. This specific information
was relayed, via phone (for all but one) and letter (for
all three) to the custodial parent(s) of each of the
disciplined students," Alexander stated in the press
release.
One of the three students said, "They suspended us for
three days. It was effective yesterday (Friday) and Jan.
3-4. They told us they suspended us because we didn't
listen to Mr. Alexander.
"Every day of the week he tells everybody to go to
class. That's the first I've ever heard of him ever
suspending anybody for insubordination. But I swear up
one side and down the other, that's not the reason he
suspended us. That might be what he told us -- but it's
not.
"They had a Nativity scene set up with dead cats --
cadaver cats. They were dissected and sewn back
together," he said. "The display had been up maybe two or
three days."
The student said he noticed it Thursday, and "We took
it down after sixth period.
"Jesus was laying in the little manager in the middle
of them (Mary, Joseph, and the Three Wise Men). It was
sitting right in front of the door. They had all kinds of
cats sitting around there," he said. "We threw them away.
It's ridiculous that we got suspended."
Asked his personal opinion of the display, the student
said, "I thought it was sick. You could walk in the
hallway and you could smell dead cats -- formaldehyde all
up in the lunchroom, in the halls. When we threw them
away, you couldn't smell it anymore."
Alexander stated: "The teacher involved in this
circumstance is an exceptional instructor who has an
unblemished record, exceptional enthusiasm for teaching,
and an unbelievable positive history of involvement in
student activities ..."
"Being a graduate of a private, religious college, the
present co-sponsor of the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, and the sole sponsor of the Ground Zero Club, a
Bible-study (after school hours) organization, the
teacher was shocked by any perception that made her seem
insensitive to the true spirit of Christmas. She
sincerely regrets that any person was offended.
"The students in this first-period class came up with
an idea which was tied to the curriculum. The principal
would have never condoned any activity which could be
perceived as sacrilegious. The teacher did not or did any
students have any mal intent," Alexander stated.
"The principal, as well as the teacher, regrets any
anguish or offense caused by the project," he stated.
Dr. Strickland said, "If it was offensive, it was
offensive. But I certainly think there was no mal
intent."
One parent, Rebecca Nave of Elizabethton said, "I was
flabbergasted when the girls told me about this. This is
more than going a step too far. It's not just for the
religious aspect, there's also a humane. They were living
animals. They still had their skin on. They had their
front paws together like they were praying," she said.
"They always have a classroom door decorating contest.
But they've also always told the kids that they could not
use anything referring to religion because there's
supposed to be that separation," Nave said.
Asked about the separation of church and state, Dr.
Strickland said, "I don't think it was a true Nativity.
Since it was anatomical, I don't think it would apply."
Strickland said she researched "On Common Ground," a
legal guide for the schools which addresses such issues.
"I don't think there was anything done that was wrong,"
she said. "Nobody wants anybody to be offended."
Nave said she believes "we do need to go back to our
religious standings, but if you're going to do that, do
it without using animals.
"That's kind of like you're mocking the Nativity scene
that all Christians honor. It's very distressing that
this has happened," she said.
Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the
educational purposes of research and open discussion.
Panchaang for 15 Mrgshirsh 5100, Wednesday, December 22,
1999:
Pramathin Nama Samvatsare 5101 Utarayane Moksha Ritau
Dhanush Mase K·ishna Pakshe Budha Vasara Yuktayam
Mrigashira-Ardra Nakshatra Shukla-Brahma Yoga
Bava-Kaulava Karana Poornima-Prathama Yam Tithau
Jai Maharaj
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