The following comes from a July 2 FoxNews story.
A Sonoma State University student has filed a religious accommodation request after she said she was ordered to remove her cross necklace because it might offend other students.
“It’s amazing in this day of diversity and tolerance on university campuses that a university official would engage in this type of obvious religious discrimination,” said Liberty Institute attorney Hiram Sasser.
Liberty Institute is representing Audrey Jarvis, 19, a liberal arts major at the northern California university.
On June 27, Jarvis was working for the university’s Associated Students Productions at a student orientation fair for incoming freshmen. During the event, her supervisor directed her to remove the cross necklace.
Sasser said the supervisor told her that the chancellor had a policy against wearing religious items and further explained “that she could not wear her cross necklace because it might offend others, it might make incoming students feel unwelcome, or it might cause incoming students to feel that ASP was not an organization they should join.”
“My initial reaction was one of complete shock,” Jarvis told Fox News. “I was thrown for a loop.”
Jarvis said she is a devout Catholic and she wears the cross as a symbol of her faith in Christ….
On a second encounter, her supervisor told her she should hide the cross under her shirt or remove it.
At that point, Jarvis became so upset she left her student worker job early….
University spokeswoman Susan Kashack confirmed to Fox News that the incident occurred and expressed extreme regret.
“Someone who works here was concerned that the cross might be off-putting to students who are coming to campus for the first time,” she said.
Kashack said the supervisor was “completely wrong.”
To read the entire story, click here.
Too bad. When I taught Catholic high school (1984-2009) many former students spoke highly of Sonoma State for its good programs. I hope this is cleared up and stays cleared up.
So, was the supervisor a student or a full time staffer?
Either way, full time student or staffer, this person should be removed.
The “supervisor” is a one person Left Wing Hate Group! And our tax dollars are paying for this?
Oh, good grief!
Jews wear yarmulkes. Muslim women wear head scarves. Christians wear crosses.
Must we all become “Stepford wives” and look precisely the same???
What if the student had a red mark on her forehead, as many Hindu women do — would she have been forced to remove it by scrubbing?
What is the student had a tattoo with some religious meaning — would they have stuck a huge bandage on her arm to cover it?
People are getting nuttier by the day…!
Maybe the supervisor had designs on the girl and was trying to intimidate her into those designs.
Christians must learn to stand up for their Constitutional Rights.
They must become familiar with the “Declaration of Independence”, the US Constitution, and the State Constitution.
And push back on evil, rather than letting it stand.
Just like Catholics must become familiar with the Bible, CCC, Code of Canon Law and GIRM to accurately know their Faith – their rights, and responsibilities.
“Bible, CCC, Code of Canon Law and GIRM”: There is something significant missing here, DAVE. Do you know what it is?
Okay, I’m thinking of those Buddhist nuns who are often seen protesting the Chinese Communist oppression of China against Tibet.
If one of those Buddhist nuns were in this position, would they force her to — oh, I don’t know — wear a wig? Remove her head?
Meaning — the Buddhist nuns shave their heads. Left that out. Sorry.
The school apologized. I wonder if that would have happened if the story had not been in the media. I doubt it.
In any case, it’s a violation of the First Amendment guarantees of freedom of expression and freedom to “free exercise’ of her religion. As such, it’s absolute proof that “political correctness” is tyranny thinly disguised as a form of civility.
Thank goodness for Fox News, the Blaze, and Drudge Report.
These are the only 3 US major media outlets that care about our Constitutional rights and present the all the facts, rather than hide the tyranny of politicial correctness.
Yes Christ Thank goodness! We must support them!
If anyone knows the history of Sonoma State and humanistic psychology, not to mention the culture in the area surrounding the campus, they would not be as shocked as we are at the anti-Christian bias exhibited by this professor. I’m not capable of envisioning a Muslim student being asked not to show up in garb that identifies him or her as a Muslim, or others as Jews, Buddhists, etc., nor are we even familiar with the religious symbols express in the dress of people from other parts of the world. Why would it be okay to show up at a state college wearing all kinds of rebellious messages on teeshirts, to say nothing of eye-popping clothes that are meant to scandalize, and not okay for a Catholic girl to wear a cross or a crucifix on a necklace? In my opinion, because extreme liberals are offended by symbols of Christianity but are not offended by the symbols of other religions or of antisocial dress or messages on clothing. Those extreme liberals are widely found among the professors at colleges and universities throughout the land.
Encourage your children to go to church, study hard, and do everything they can to be admitted to a school like Thomas Aquinas College, where it is perfectly fine to wear a cross or a crucifix on a necklace at school. It is part of our Catholic culture to wear such a necklace; it brings us peace and comfort and helps us remember that people might be watching us and reminds us to behave in ways that would bring credit to others who worship Jesus Christ and perhaps even encourage observers to contemplate Christ and Christianity for a few moments while we are in their presence. Now how could that hurt anyone in any possible way?
Sorry, I should have said supervisor. For many students who do research work, one’s supervisor is often a professor, but the article did not say that was the case.
Students in the public schools and colleges usually are allowed, and should be, to wear any religious symbol they chose, so should employees. I have seen teachers and students with crosses, crucifixes. medals, Buddhas and Stars of David. Unless something is truly obscene what business is it what any one wears around the neck as long as each person is allowed to do so. It is better, though, that large relgious symbols should be kept for non working times, unless one works in a religious school.
The only time I got upset with an employee wearing a religious symbol was when a wiccan saleswoman was clearly trying to proselyte in a secular bookstore store. She had been very nice and helpful to me, even though she wore a pentagram, when I asked for a book about St. Patrick. She found it for me, and I purchased it. Nevetheless, when I kept going back to that partcular secular store, I noticed that there were books on witchcraft in the photography, science, art and other areas where they definitely should not have been. The store later closed down, and that might have been the reason, even though she was just one of the salesclerks there. She and perhaps another employee clearly had been trying to get people to buy such books.
Daily the assault on decency continues. Any sign of the true religion is mocked or attacked, while pagan symbols are applauded. Watch any old television program, either a news program or a show, and notice the dress code . People once took pride on how they dressed in public, and even at home.Now the more skin that shows the better, and the more grungy and sloppy, the better is the trend setter. The tables seem to have turned against what is true and good, since the vast majority of people dress like slobs, and only a few realize their bodies are not their own, but are temples of the Holy Spirit. One can wear T shirts with vulgar words and pictures printed on them; one can have offensive tattoos, and this is permissible .But if anything religious is outwardly portrayed, then all hell breaks loose. Our western society is doomed, as we have given up the godly, and have embraced the demonic. The average North American male no longer wants to fight for what is honest and true, but wants to get along, and is becoming effeminate. As a result, as Our Lady said, she can only hold back the hand of her Son for so long. He, the Lord of Lord will punish us for not being faithful members of the Church Militant.
Amen.
Father Karl what you say is so very true….it is more refreshing reading it from a holy and devout priest such as your self. Your comments have given me more strength than you know, it is nice to read comments from priests who post good common sense and display the fear of the Lord in them. We need more of that today. It is often lacking that one has no choice but to shed tears and ask our Lord to give us more confirmation that what convictions we hold in Him are still the truth. Not that we question but it is the daily spiritual beatings that we take in that make us wonder, could we be wrong? It goes to show you how powerful the evil forces are today…..
I just started wearing around my neck a Good Shepherd crucifix. Pope Francis wears one. I wear it as a sign that I am a Christian and a sign that I am open to talking about religion.
Good for you!
I no doutbt would bet al,l that if that person was wearing a crescent and star the symbol of the “religion of peace” Islam she would have not said a thing! Where are all the feminists, celebraties and womens groups protesting the treatment of women in Islamic countries??? Let’s see now women cannot drive, vote, attend co-ed schools, wear western clothing, ask for divorce, get the blame if they are raped, have their genitllia removed without any type of anesthisa, where is NOW, Nancy Pelosi, Diane Feinstein, Lady Ga Ga, Madonna, and all those brave Hollywood actors when it comes to defending women in the Islamic world?????? It is called sheer cowardice and fright of being a victim of the religion of peace.
Janet yes that is true…it seems that most Christians tolerate those things than they respect our own freedoms. We keep forgetting that this country was based on Judeo Christian values. All that live near there, should all walk holding their rosaries to show them that we will not back down to their bigotry! I like what Fulton Sheen quoted
“If you don’t behave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave.”
― Fulton J. Sheen
He is right and said a lot of wisdom filled teachings.
The crucifix repels the devil.
In the days of burning flags on campus by angry mobs when it was accepted by the highest liberal court justices as a form of freedom of speech (1st Amendment) no one would have dared to shut down ones freedom of speech to wear a crucifix necklace. Now the liberals are in power and have over-reached, it is still acceptable to them to defend our freedom of speech such as the reckless and disrespectful burning/degradation of our US Old Glory despite we conservative patriots feelings of respect for Old Glory; however, from their liberal perspective they will not tolerate by the liberals even though it offends us conservative patriots; however it is not OK by the liberals to for us conservative patriots to show our highly moral and value support of Christ our King on the grounds that it may offend someone. May God forgive the twisted liberals, who are blind, godless, and have not ordinary common sense.
In the days of burning flags on campuses by angry unruly mobs when it was accepted by the highest liberal court justices as a form of freedom of speech (1st Amendment) no one would have dared to shut down ones freedom of speech to wear a crucifix necklace. Boy have times changed! Some of those liberals have over the years become intolerant of their precious diversity and risen to seats of power and are now forcefully influencing common people to throw God out of our nation. Woe to those liberals! Now the liberals have over-reached, whereas it is still acceptable to them to defend our freedom of speech such as the reckless and disrespectful burning/degradation of our US Old Glory despite how offended we conservative patriots are of such a disrespectful event; they, from their liberal perspective they will not tolerate we conservative patriots to show our highly morals and values support of Christ our King on the grounds that it may offend someone. May God forgive the twisted liberals, who are blind, godless, and have no ordinary common sense
James that is true…sad times we live in…
I would have invited the supervisor to remove the emblem from my person.
nah but I guess we all have our own way to wear the cross..but never to cave in..
This student should thank this supervisor for helping her grow more with character by standing up and learning to have courage to say no thank you to those who offend our faith.
As much as I don’t like difficult people in my life, I often found that it because of their hardened hearts that actually make me grow more virtuous. First it must have been humbling to have been shocked at the request to remove cross necklace, then it must have hopefully made this young lady learn to face difficult people with courage and strength and hopefully it will prepare her for worst things in life…that hopefully she will grow in perseverance and fortitude with joy knowing that martyrs of the faith don’t come easy but the rewards in heaven are much much much greater…..
How is character built and being formed today…..by wearing the cross…firmly, gently and with perfect charity…