Parents in Fonda, New York are furious after the annual elementary school Christmas concert was canceled and many suspect it’s because a teacher was offended by the name of Jesus.
Children at Fonda-Fultonville Elementary school had worked very hard to learn songs for the concert. But there was one particular song that caused a bit of controversy.
The song is called, “Oh, What a Special Night” and it tells the birth of Christ from the perspective of the animals around the manger scene. At the end of each verse, the children sang, “Thank you, God for Baby Jesus.”
The school district confirmed that the song was removed from the concert under guidance from their legal department.
Shortly after that – the concert was canceled.
“While rumors have circulated that the performance was canceled due to objections to one or more of the songs, it is important to note the cancellation is not related to song selection or school safety issues as some in the community have alleged,” the district said in a statement.
But they said the time was simply coincidental and had nothing to do with the cancellation of the show. As to the reason why they pulled the plug?
“Truly a matter I cannot disclose,” the superintendent told the Times-Union newspaper. “Unfortunately, it’s a matter that cannot be disclosed.”
Parents around the community were frustrated and angry at the district’s decision and how one complaint ruined a longtime tradition.
“So tired of this woke culture, where one parent can call in and complain, and ruin it for the entire district,” one parent wrote on Facebook.
Another called it “absolutely sickening and wrong.”
“It is CHRISTmas. If someone doesn’t agree with that, then they don’t need to participate, and their parents don’t need to attend,” the parent wrote. “Instead of taking the high road, the school has ruined the countless hours of practice the other kids have put in, as well as the joy and excitement they feel when they see their families in the audience. All of that happiness has been taken away.”
More than 100 parents and children showed up at a protest rally dubbed, “Operation Jolly.” The event gave students an opportunity perform the songs from the canceled concert.
“We both agreed that if we didn’t get the right response from the school district, we were going to take matters into our own hands,” parent and organizer Kate Ramirez told CBS News.
The impromptu concert drew at least 100 parents and students. Children sang holiday songs while families enjoyed hot cocoa, treats, and a visit from Santa. Community members also donated food and drinks to support the event.
“It’s not a religious statement or a political statement,” she said. “It literally is about this child’s first concert, and whose last concert is in elementary.”
How sad there was no room for Jesus in the inn or a grade school Christmas pageant.
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