NEW YORK BOSTON |#Popular: Irish Celebrity Gossip Irish in US Politics Irish Festivals Irish Roots Irish Entertainment Offbeat Irish

Home Page > News > Multi-denominational school makes student wipe off St. Patrick’s Day shamrock

Multi-denominational school makes student wipe off St. Patrick’s Day shamrock

MOLLY MULDOON,

Irish Voice Reporter

Published Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 8:29 AM

Updated Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 8:29 AM

Larger Text

E-mail

10 Comments

Amanda Zwiebel

Photo by Fanily Handout

A Suffolk County, Long Island public school policy infuriated one parent over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend when a sixth grade student was asked to wash a shamrock off her face during class.

The incident happened at Robert Moses Middle School in North Babylon last Friday after an announcement by the assistant principal declared that certain St. Patrick’s Day themed items were not permitted to be worn by students as they violated the code of conduct.

“On a loudspeaker, the students were told today it is not St. Patrick’s Day,” according to Jill Zwiebel, the student’s mother.

Irish American student Amanda Zwiebel, 12, was then instructed by her teacher to remove the painted shamrock from her face.

“We had painted a small shamrock on Amanda’s face.” Zwiebel told the Irish Voice. “We go all out on St. Patrick’s Day.”

“She came off the bus at about 2:55 and she said, ‘Mom I don’t know what I did wrong, I’m Irish and they made me wash off my shamrock,’” Zwiebel added.

“St. Patrick’s Day is about pride in your heritage and roots. What harm can a shamrock do? At my other daughter’s school they were giving out shamrocks.”

The principal later apologized to the Zwiebels.

A statement by Patricia Godekm, superintendent of North Babylon School District, described it as an isolated incident.

“Students are allowed to dress in celebration of holidays as long as they are not in violation of the district's code of conduct,” the statement read.

“In hindsight, the teacher realizes that it would have been okay to allow Amanda to keep the shamrock on her face.” Godekm added that the teacher in question had no intention of embarrassing Amanda.

However, the mother of three remains annoyed over the incident.

“I see this as a lack of tolerance,” she told the Irish Voice.

“Many students have Henna on, but you cannot have a shamrock? This is America; we have freedom of expression and religion.

“As far as St. Patrick’s Day there is no consideration.”

Nster.com

E-mail

10 Comments

See all comments

IrelandNorth | Mar 30, 2012, 08:57 AM EDT

Ah yes! More secularist diktats from the Church of Political Correctness. Just when we though it was safe to reemerge after the decline and fall of the Holy Roman Empire, we're faced by secularist pulpit thumpers reading from the profane gospel of political correctness. WHat would St. Patrick have thought?

Report abuse

Chico2001 | Mar 24, 2012, 06:29 PM EDT

She was "asked" to wash it off? If she was only "asked" she could have said NO.

Report abuse

Woodkern | Mar 22, 2012, 01:11 AM EDT

If the family really wants to "go all out" for Irish culture on Saint Patrick's Day, they would do well to organise an event for Seachtain na Gaeilge: http://www.snag.ie/

Report abuse

DaithiSuibhne | Mar 21, 2012, 09:32 PM EDT

It's plain to see this is just another case of 'Big Brother' going way overboard.@Woodkern, very well said.

Report abuse

Searlit | Mar 21, 2012, 06:48 PM EDT

It was insensitive - to say the least.

Report abuse

merefalow | Mar 21, 2012, 05:20 PM EDT

i hate taking the side of anyone who wipes a shamrock off,BUT,UNIFORM means all the same,if anyone wears a cross or a face veil ,or a turban ,then they are not uniform,how can teachers control and enforce discipline if everyone does whatever they wish,teachers have a real hard job controlling unruly and undisciplined pupils with little or no back up because of uman rights etc etc,so trivial nitpicking as this may appear at first sight,they need the right to enforce dress codes and disipline,not discriminatory in my opinion.

Report abuse

Woodkern | Mar 21, 2012, 04:51 PM EDT

Oh, and if this child's mother really wanted to "go all out" for Saint Patrick's Day, she should have organized a local event for Seachtain na Gaielge: http://www.snag.ie/

Report abuse

DanOLoingsigh | Mar 21, 2012, 04:30 PM EDT

Woodkern - Good points...well argued...refreshing clarity...

Report abuse

Woodkern | Mar 21, 2012, 02:27 PM EDT

Good grief! Irish Central is certainly on a roll… and their Drogheda-Of-The-Week is getting beyond tedious. “Offensive” frozen shakes, “racist” underwear, ‘insensitive” sneakers and now “intolerant” school dress codes. The loudspeaker was objectively correct is stating that “today is not St. Patrick’s Day” because March 17th fell on a Saturday this year, not on any school day. I cannot imaging anyone walking into my old grammar school with anything painted on his or her face. It’s not “culture” of any kind. It’s just uncouth. If Irish Central is so concerned about assaults on Irish CULTURE, perhaps they can do some real journalism and research to expose the damage done to the Irish language and Gaeltacht communities by the IRISH State for decades through successive governments up to this present day, rather than instructing “Irish”-Americans in the suburbs to feel persecuted over trivia.

Report abuse

peterson | Mar 21, 2012, 01:56 PM EDT

Very narrow minded idiot !!

Report abuse