Northern Indiana Atheists released this photo that apparently was taken in the Warsaw Community High School cafeteria along with other displays. Photo provided.

By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — For the second time in two years, Northern Indiana Atheists have complained about a religious display in Warsaw Community Schools.

The group identified what they view as a violation under the separation of church and state last year, but the school district never did reply in public to their concerns.

This year, the group sent Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert a letter, and Hoffert issued a reply earlier this week defending the circumstances.

The newest letter from Northern Indiana Atheists mentioned two previous incidents but focused this time on a complaint about a Nativity scene on top of the sneeze guard in the high school cafeteria.

NIA said parents should feel comfortable sending their children to WCS and “not fear that they will be preached to or forced to participate in someone else’s faith tradition.”

“It’s obvious that Warsaw Community Schools needs to be doing a lot more to protect its students’ rights. In the meantime, NIA will be here to stand up for the rights of students and parents at WCS and any other school in Northern Indiana that would violate the trust we have put in them to educate our kids, not indoctrinate them,” the letter said.

The school replied after a request from InkFreeNews that was signed by Hoffert and Heather Reichenbach, president, WCS Board of School Trustees.

They defended the display and then said it’s already been put away for the season.

The letter reads in part:

“As anyone who personally viewed the Warsaw Community High School cafeteria knows, the annual holiday display is decorated to celebrate winter holidays. Decorations are primarily secular in nature: penguins, snowmen, reindeer, Christmas trees, wreaths, and Santa Claus. There are also decorations to commemorate the three major religious holidays celebrated in December, the nativity display for Christmas, a menorah for Chanukah, and a kinara for Kwanzaa. The religious symbols are a small part of the overall display, and no religious symbol is featured more prominently than the others.”

The letter then explained that federal courts “require the display of a Nativity scene to be analyzed in context and as part of the overall holiday display. Just two years ago, a federal appeals court upheld the display of a Nativity scene at Concord High School’s “Christmas Spectacular” musical program. When the Nativity scene is part of a predominantly secular display, it does not create an unconstitutional endorsement of religion. Warsaw Community Schools is confident its holiday display complies with all constitutional requirements.”

“Unfortunately, some organizations from outside of our community have attempted to create controversy about this display by soliciting WCS staff members and families, asking whether they would like to pursue a claim against the school corporation,” the letter said.

The letter ends with the following:

“Now that the first semester has concluded and the remaining renovation of the cafeteria began yesterday, the holiday display has been put away “for a long winter’s nap.” Warsaw Community High School will continue to spread holiday cheer in a constitutionally permissible manner.  To all of our WCS students, staff and families, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Joyous Kwanzaa.”