Dupage Policy Journal

Community Unit School District (CUSD) 200 parent Don Nebraske is expressing his disappointment in the support of a gay pride Christmas tree in the school’s public area. 

Nebraske reached out to Dr. Jeff Schuler, superintendent of District 200 schools, concerning the matter. He said the superintendent stated, "he does not intend to take any further action on this matter." Nebraske was sure that if he were from the LGBT community and contacted Schuler about something that he "was deeply offended by, he would take immediate action.”

“I find it very offensive to have a religious symbol decorated as a gay pride display and I have asked that it is removed from the display at Edison Middle School during this holiday season in which Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ,” Nebraske said in an email. “When I spoke to Dr. Schuler, the CUSD200 superintendent on the phone this afternoon, he said that the Christmas tree is not a religious symbol. I find that response odd because the item that we are discussing is called a Christmas tree and it is displayed during the Christmas season. Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ during this Christmas season. According to Dr. Schuler, there is no connection between Christmas trees and Christmas.” 

Nebraske marvels "how the superintendent or the principal find it to be a benefit to the children of Edison Middle School and the rest of CUSD200 to mix religious and political/sexual symbols" in schools.

“I am curious if it would be acceptable to take symbols associated with other holidays/cultures (religious or not) and turn them into gay pride symbols?" he said. "I am quite confident that neither the superintendent nor Principal Rachel Bednar would dare to allow a Muslim symbol to be decorated with gay pride colors and be displayed at CUSD200 schools during a Muslim holiday such as Ramadan. Would it be acceptable to decorate the Kwanza Kinara or Jewish Menorah in gay pride colors during this holiday season?” 

Jeanne Ives, a former state representative and CEO of Breakthrough Ideas, has called for the firing of Bednar, the principal at Edison Middle School, according to the DuPage Policy Journal.

“If you let this stand, you are just as morally depraved as the principal. Bednar should be fired for destroying the innocence of young children, promoting racist programs and failing to educate kids,” Ives said of the Community Unit School District 200 board and Schuler in an email.

The gay pride Christmas tree is shown in photos provided to DuPage Policy Journal adorned with ornaments reading "Be Gay, Be Slay” and "Gay Panic," a reference to a defense offered by those who rebuff physical advances by a homosexual. The 50-year-old Bednar lives in Naperville with her husband Jason who works for the Illinois State Board of Education.

The CUSD 200 board members include President Chris Crabtree, Vice President Rob Hanlon, Secretary Dave Long, Angela Blatner, Susan Booton, Julie Kulovits and Brad Paulsen.