WyBlog

A Taunton father is outraged after his 8-year-old son was sent home from school and required to undergo a psychological evaluation after drawing a stick-figure picture of Jesus Christ on the cross.

The father said he got a call earlier this month from Maxham Elementary School informing him that his son, a second-grade student, had created a violent drawing. The image in question depicted a crucified Jesus with Xs covering his eyes to signify that he had died on the cross. The boy wrote his name above the cross.

The student drew the picture shortly after taking a family trip to see the Christmas display at the National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette, a Christian retreat site in Attleboro. He made the drawing in class after his teacher asked the children to sketch something that reminded them of Christmas, the father said.

Superintendent Julie Hackett said district policy prevents her from discussing a "confidential matter regarding a student."

"Generally speaking, we have safety protocols in place," Hackett said. "If a situation warrants it, we ask for outside safety evaluations if we have particular concerns about a child's safety. We followed all the protocols in our system."

Taunton Massachusetts School Superintendent Julie Hackett responded sharply Wednesday to an accusation that a 2nd grader at Maxham Elementary was pulled out of school and ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation for drawing this picture depicting Jesus on a cross.

Julie Hackett "The focus has been on a picture, it shouldn't be on a picture. There is much more to any case than meets the eye."

As the boy's father told his story to NECN and multiple media outlets Tuesday, Hackett says she was investigating. She issued a statement that evening, long after initial stories had already aired. Hackett now says the picture shown is not the same one questioned by teachers.

Julie Hackett "At the end of the investigation I was very confident in what the staff had concluded and supported the actions they had taken."

The Superintendent said she invited the parents to meet with her in her office Wednesday morning but neither parents showed up for that meeting.

Chester Johnson, the boy's father, says he was advised not to go to that meeting.