Jesus costume gets child sent home from school

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An eighth-grader was sent home from school today and told to change out of his costume: They deemed Jesus Christ inappropriate.

“We're a little stupified by this whole thing,” said the boy's mother, Kim Woinski.

Jesus Christ was “one of the greatest men that ever lived," she added. "If he went as Abe Lincoln would they say he couldn't do that?"

Alex Woinski, who already has shoulder-length brown hair, donned a long white robe with a red sash, a fake beard, sandals and a crown of thorns.

“They would have let him wear the costume, but he had to get rid of the crown of thorns and the beard,” Woinski said.

In order to do that, she said, Woinski had to leave work and pick her son up from West Brook Middle School so he could go home and shower.

Woinski said other students who had inappropriate costumes were able to simply turn their shirts inside out or take off any offensive pieces.

Superintendent James Montesano said he didn't know about the incident but said he believes the reason for doing so was most likely not because anyone was offended by the religious nature of the costume but that it may have been disrupting classes.

“As much as we want to have our kids enjoy celebrations, whether it’s through school spirit week or something like this, the fact of the matter is we certainly are here for the central purpose of education,” said Montesano. “If students in any form are wearing things that are bringing too much added attention that disrupts us from an educational environment, then school administrators would make that decision.”

The school year is only 180 days, he added, so it's important that youngsters are able to get the most out of each day of instruction, and a disruption in the classroom could impede that goal.Woinski said her son complied with the requests of teachers and administrators, without complaint, and called his mother to pick him up. He was home for an hour and a half before returning to school.

When she went to pick her son up from school, administrators were unavailable to speak with her regarding the matter. But in an effort to comply with their requests she took her son home, she said.

“It's not like he’s not a good student. The kid’s on the high honor roll,” she said.

Woinski is Catholic while her husband is Jewish. Their son, who had recently celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and has been studying Bible scripture, is interested in Jesus as an historical and religious figure, according to his mother.

He wanted to translate that interest into a Halloween costume.

Alex's older brother, Jason Riggio, said due to long hair and darker skin, Alex's friends already say his brother bears a resemblance to the famous figure, which gave Alex the idea for the costume.

“We have both religions in our house, and he's learning about both. He wasn't poking fun at anybody,” said Woinski. “I think what it was was that he was getting too much attention.”
  • added October 31, 2008
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66 responses // Jesus costume gets child sent home from school

  •  

    That is pretty funny. What if the kid had dressed up as Buddha? Or Vishnu? I wonder if he would have gotten the same reaction...

    aressig
  •  

    no christian should stand for any parent inciting their kid to dress as the lord for a halloween costume . it's extremely disrespectful , and if my boy were at this school at the time i would have applauded him for wiping this kids face all over the parking lot and i myself would have taken it as a duty to burn down this kid's house and spread salt over the scorched earth where it once stood and invoke the name of mighty Jehovah to smite anyone who dared to mention the mere names of anyone who remembered this deed and chose still to speak of it .
    ( yawn )

    malathion
    12 responses to this
  •  

    I dont support the mothers rebuttal to the matter, but I do think it was a cool costume. If a kid were to dress up as Darth Vader a symbol of pure evil it would probably be ok, but Jesus a symbol of absolute good is not appropiate? Thats silly and Im not even religious.

    Weepowopo
  •  

    I think this was a bad idea for them to do this. He was just dressing up for Halloween. He wasn't trying to push religion on anyone and it wasn't even a religious thing, just a cultural icon thing.

    PoisonTheMonkey
  •  

    Ridiculous. It's HALLOWEEN. I do not believe them when they say perhaps he was "disrupting class", what a load of BS! How could he have been more of a disruption than any other costume? Very stupid.

    DeliaTheArtist
  •  

    Halloween is a goofy day. One of very few occasions when we get to be something we're not. Whether this kid chose this costume out of humor or admiration, it's just a costume. He's not John Lennon; he didn't say he was more popular than Jesus!

    Datura420
  •  

    they fucked up

    deeblackangel
  •  

    Next year he'll have to plan it with all of his friends and they can all come as a biblical figure.

    Jesus
    the 12 disciples
    Judas
    Mary Magdalene
    Solomon
    Sampson
    Pontius Pilate
    Mary and Martha

    You get the idea. Good times.

    cantucwearebrothers
    3 responses to this
  •  

    lmfao thats crazy

    CalgarC
  •  

    I could see if he was doing it disrespectfully (like LOL Jesus or something) but it sounds like the kid had done it totally respectfully.

    also I just want to say this kid is lucky to have parents exposing him to two religions and letting him make his own decisions...as a result the kid seems to be more intelligent and open to religious studies than any middle school child ive encountered.

    seanalyn
  •  

    So I guess the real question "what" (if anything) is SACRED? Personally a child who wants to look like Jesus for one day- well somehow that seems "not so bad "...

    kennyJ
  •  

    i think this is funny..

    lordsbassman
  •  

    Oh Jesus Christ...

    Pun intended. Anyways, I am anti-religion in every way (except censoring them) but this is completely retarded. People dress up as make-believe characters all the time for Halloween. Why is this any different?

    animalia_libero
  •  

    How is this different from the Danish cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammad? I am not saying they are the same--or different--by any means. However, I do think this could open up an interesting conversation about religious tolerance and cultural difference. Does anyone have a thought on this?

    niksparks
    3 responses to this
  •  

    whoever sent him should be shot. first of all why criticize a child's creativity and second of all its 2008, i mean come on who really believes in jesus still

    nodlew20
  •  

    Halloween is as pathetic as this story. Boys dress up like axe murderers, and walk around with blood all over themselves, girls dress as whores in tight cat suits, and everyone thinks it's cool. But dress as Jesus and NOW YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR! What a lame holiday to begin with. Yeah, the devil is awesome, so is the prostitute and axe murderer, but dress as Jesus and get your ass out of here.

    dabne
  •  

    Though we have a separation of church and state its still just Halloween. Let the kid be creative. His costume isn't inappropriate.

    Zero_Ryoko
  •  

    "who really believes in jesus still"

    Me.

    But I still think the kid had a good costume...

    michaelway
  •  

    NO ONE SHOULD OR COULD DRESS AS JESUS.. MAINLY BECAUSE WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HE LOOKED LIKE. BETTER TO KEEP RELIGION OUT OF HALLOWEN. WHY DO THIS ? YOU ARE ASKING FOR TROUBLE BECAUSE JESUS NEVER ASKED TO BE MIMICKED.

    nessie00
    2 responses to this
  •  

    Hil-fricking-larious. Really, i find it even funnier that people are so outraged for Jesus. What, you don't think he's see the humor in this. Honestly, you guys make him out to be such a party pooper.

    Neghie
  •  

    Jesus never said he was God either, if you believe the mythology. The costume idea was great, I'm with you Canuc, send all the kids in jesus club costume.

    Dabne...those comments about the blood and devil costumes being ok but not the light and the way...good observation, and says so much about our culture, that is where our collective head is. Exploitation and murder are ok but liberalism (Jesus was so liberal you might say communist...)not ok, in fact hated.

    Those people who have hijacked this country are the height of hipocracy-they say they are Christians and worship Jesus, but everything about their behavior is the opposite of the teachings of Christ.

    He didn't say be greedy, hire your cronies, destroy your country and your planet, steal from the poor and give to the rich. What a bunch of charletans, we should all dress like Jesus.

    uppityprogressive
    1 response to this
  •  
    http://current.com/items/89462496_history_of_halloween
    Image...

    "BETTER TO KEEP RELIGION OUT OF HALLOWEEN." - What? Halloween is all about religion, in fact, many of them! (Just like every other major holiday!)

    DeliaTheArtist
  •  

    There probably wasn't any disruptive behavior till they pointed it out. As it was mentioned by someone else they can be an axe murderer, whore etc... but Jesus is off limits.

    WOW! No wonder the world is going to hell in a hand basket.

    chemicalbros
  •  

    i've got it.. those in charge at the school did not want any confusing distractions .. due to their anxious wait
    for the second coming?
    what other reason really makes sense ?
    not that it makes sense.. but if you are eager for the second coming you might do a double take.. even embarrass yourself

    kyackr
  •  

    I've seen a halloweener dress as jesus complete with 3 foot wooden cross, long hair and beard (both real), crown, sandals, robe, everything. He looked as "real" as any movie costume has ever tried to make jesus look, except under his robe he was wearing a t-shirt that said:

    "WHAT WOULD I DO?"

    oh, and he was holding a plastic beer cup ...

    edmubnd
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