SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTERA Texas school principal forced a staffer to take Charlie Brown Christmas decorations off a school door because it included a quote from Linus which had the word “Christ” in it. The principal reportedly said it was “an issue of separation of church and state.” The Texas Attorney General called the action “an attack on religious liberty and a violation of the First Amendment and state law.”SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER The door, covered in brown paper with a picture of Charlie Brown, bore the following quote from “A Charlie Brown Christmas:” For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. That’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown. Dedra Shannon who is a staffer at Charles E. Patterson Middle School in Killeen, Texas, was told to take the decorations down two days after she decorated the door of the nurse’s office with it, reported Todd Starnes. Ms. Shannon was reported to say, “She [the Principal] said, ‘please don’t hate me, but unfortunately you’re going to have to take your poster down’.”

Shannon added, “I’m disappointed. cheap decorating ideas laundry roomIt is a slap in the face of Christianity.”christmas decorations to make from wood “Throughout the school there are talks about diversity. christmas tree decorations patternsWell, you aren’t being very diverse if you are not allowing the Christians to put something up that refers to a Christian holiday,” Starnes reported. home decor blogs torontoHer father, Danny Breyeris, who is the pastor for the Soldiers of the Cross Cowboy Fellowship near Fort Hood contacted Starnes.home decor in turkey

The war on the meaning of Christmas met with this response from the president of Texas Values, “a non-profit organization dedicated to standing for faith, family, and freedom in Texas.” exterior white paint recommendationsJonathan Saenz noted: “This kind of outrageous attack on Christmas is exactly why the Texas ‘Merry Christmas Law’ was passed in 2013–to protect the Constitutional rights of students, parents and staff.” As reported by Breitbart Texas, Texas State Representative Dwayne Bohac was the author of the “Merry Christmas Bill.” HB 308 amended Texas Education Code section 29.920 to protect the right of students and teachers to celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah without fear of retribution. Bohac said the bill protects school teachers and others from litigation and harassment. The “Merry Christmas” bill was signed into law in 2013 by then Governor Rick Perry.

Bohac said he got the idea for the bill when he picked up his 6-year-old son Reagan from school and he was talking about the “holiday tree” they had decorated. Rep. Bohac and his former staffer, Kay Glenn Clinton, are the authors of Merry Christmas, Y’all, Texas Style! The Christmas book takes you through Santa’s journey through the Lone Star State. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton responded to the episode by saying: I am proud to have voted for the Merry Christmas law in 2013, when I was a member of the Legislature. We passed that law precisely because of this type of discrimination against people of faith. No school official in Texas can silence a Biblical reference to Christmas. This is an attack on religious liberty and a violation of the First Amendment and state law. I am calling on the school board of the Killeen ISD to immediately reverse their unlawful decision. Texas Values has a project on a website called “Merry Christmas Texas“. It contains a summary of the “Merry Christmas” legislation which can be shared with the schools and school districts.

It also provides a method of reporting on a school or district, or simply sharing how your school district is acknowledging Christmas. Saenz, the president of Texas Values, chastised the principal saying: The public school principal in this case has directly attacked, banned and censored a reference to the religious history of Christmas while allowing a secular symbol to remain. This outrageous religious discrimination is a violation of the First Amendment and a direct violation of state law and must be stopped. The school should apologize immediately and allow the full display to go back up. The Killeen ISD released a statement Friday afternoon: The Killeen ISD administration has reviewed the decision made in regards to the Christmas door decoration, and supports the actions taken by the Principal in requesting that the reference to the Bible verse be removed. Our employees are free to celebrate the Christmas and Holiday season in the manner of their choosing. However, employees are not permitted to impose their personal beliefs on students.

The display in question was a six–‐foot–‐plus tall door decoration in the main hallway of the school building, and included a reference to a Bible verse covering much of the door. Upon review, it is clear that this display was not in keeping with the Merry Christmas Bill (House Bill 308), which requires that a display not encourage adherence to a particular religion. This article has been updated to reflect new comments. Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and associate judge in Texas. Follow her on Twitter @LanaShadwick2.Alison Vinciguerra of long distance loving hadn’t had a chance to put front door decorations in her first Christmas in her new home. This year, she took part in our Holiday Style Challenge series here on The Home Depot Blog, though. We sent her some mystery boxes of Home Depot Christmas decorations, and let her work her decorating magic. Now her front door looks absolutely fabulous for the holidays.

She shares some clever ideas for making the most of your front door decorations– including her easy way to “float” a wreath on the front door. After doing a complete back patio makeover this spring, I was thrilled to be asked back for another challenge this holiday season! Last year, we moved into our new home one month before Christmas. In that month, we scurried around to unpack before we welcomed our son, James. (He arrived two weeks after we moved in and two weeks before Christmas!) I can confidently say that decorating our home for the holidays was the last thought on my mind. We put a wreath on our front door and called it a day. It was a shame because our beautiful front door (seen below) deserved to get dressed up for the holidays! Thanks to The Home Depot, I finally got to do our home justice this year with new front door decorations for Christmas. I was so excited to tear open the boxes full of holiday goodies to get my wheels turning for this challenge.

(It really felt like Christmas morning!) First, I opened a box which contained this gorgeous garland. Each box after that got progressively more exciting. They also sent along a coordinating wreath and potted tree. I immediately started scheming what to do with these festive pieces! I have always been a fan of symmetry, so my first order of business for the front door decorations was to order a second potted tree to flank each side of our door. I also snagged a few more strands of garland to frame the front door and wrap around two of the columns on our porch. For an extra bit of flair, I also added a bit of burlap ribbon that I found at a local craft store to the trees. I did remove the faux feathers from the garland and wreath because they weren’t to my taste. What type of garland you display is up to you! We have a running debate in our house about whether we are white light fans or multi-colored light fans. I am a diehard warm white lights fan. Thankfully, both the wreath and potted tree were pre-lit with this exact variety.

(All I needed to do was add two C batteries to each!) I also ordered a few strands of these warm white mini LED lights. Since we have a curious little one who is constantly exploring, I chose LED Christmas lights because they remain cool to the touch even when they are lit. They are also much more efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs (no crazy power surges like the one in “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”!). Last, but certainly not least, these lights have ConstantON technology – meaning the strand stays lit even if one light is missing or burns out. Speaking of lights, one of my biggest pet peeves is seeing excessive cords. Not only are they a tripping hazard, but they can also distract from your décor. I decided to hide the majority of the cords with this cord protector, which I painted to match our porch. I took home a handful of brown paint swatches and found one that worked best. The paint department at The Home Depot was able mix a tiny jar of my precise hue, which was more than enough!

Using a sturdy utility knife, I cut the cord protector to fit the span between the front pillars and the outlet. It may not be the most glamorous DIY, but it does keep safety front of mind! Another essential tool I used when completing this challenge were Command Hooks. I placed one hook upside down on the inside of my front door. I then cut four pieces of nylon hanging wire, knotted them together, and threaded them through the wreath. I tied it off in the back and then hung the wreath on the hook inside the door.The illusion of a floating wreath! Removing the wreath hanger means the door still functions normally – without any excess clanking. I also used the Command Hooks to evenly space the garland on the front porch columns. Last but certainly not least, I used them to thread the twinkle lights from one side to the other – keeping them invisible from the front view of the porch. When I started this challenge, my goal was to create an extra festive space, which would long outlive this holiday season.