On Wednesday, Utah fourth-grader William McLeod received ashes like most Catholics around the world. He noticed he was the only one in his classroom wearing an ashen cross on his forehead, but what happened next made him stand out even more.
McLeod’s teacher pulled him to the side and handed him a disinfectant wipe to remove the cross, claiming that religious symbols were not allowed to be worn in the classroom. McLeod complied with his teacher’s request, but now the school is taking a closer look at the incident.
The school principal reached out to McLeod’s family to apologize, and McLeod’s teacher apologized personally to McLeod’s grandmother. The school district is still investigating the matter and will take necessary action.
