The Wausau school board has rescinded a new music policy that would have limited the amount of religious music students perform during holiday concerts.
More than 700 people turned out for the school board meeting, most of them opposed to the policy crafted by the superintendent, designed to prevent potential lawsuits over the separation of church and state.
A parent from Rib Mountain, Meg Ellefson, told the board she saw the policy as an attack on her religion. “I'm here tonight because I am a Christian, and I believe that if we do not speak up to defend our rights we will lose them, and someday our children and grandchildren will not be able to speak out on behalf of Christians.”
But another parent, Rabbi Dan Danson, says too much Christian music can alienate students of different faiths. “What we're concerned about is that when our children are participating in music at the school, that it's an environment that's hospitable to them. That they feel that the majority of the music they're doing is not causing them to engage in religious faith statements that contradict their faith.”
The board plans to appoint a committee made up of a diverse cross section of the community to review possible changes in the current music policy that allows music directors wide latitude in planning holiday concerts.
