A teacher from Utah apologizes for asking a boy to wash his forehead on Ash Wednesday

March 12, 2019, 00:40 GMT

By Associated press

SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah teacher on administrative leave apologized on Monday for dissuading 9-year-old Catholic student William McLeod from the Wednesday's Ashes Cross, claiming that he was "out of school." it was a misunderstanding.

Moana Patterson, a fourth-grade teacher, said Monday that she thought the cross was clay, and she wiped William with a rag soaked in water to clean, not knowing that he it was a religious symbol. She said that she hopes everyone can go ahead and develop understanding together. Patterson was surrounded by parents and students who supported her at a press conference in the Utah capital of Salt Lake City.

"My whole life has been centered on respect for diversity," said Patterson. "I will never fail to respect any religion or sacred symbol."

The incident occurred last week at Valley View Elementary School in Bountiful, Utah.

"It's something that happens when people are not necessarily exposed to other cultures, to other religions, it's not always necessarily alive," said Utah Republican Senator Todd Weiler. , which represents the region.

Patterson left the press conference without answering questions after reading a prepared statement. It is not known if she has a religious affiliation. Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known as the Mormon Church, represent about two-thirds of Utah's residents. Faith does not observe Ash Wednesday.

Karen Fisher, William's grandmother, stated that she was not quite ready to accept the apology because Patterson had asked the boy to remove the symbol even after explaining the meaning to him. two times. "It's a bit hard to swallow, a little, for me," she says.

Fisher does not want Patterson to lose his job or any damage to it, but said that a break was warranted to ensure that she and other members of the community are aware of other religious traditions. "We must train all religions and all beliefs," she said.

In Utah, Catholics are the minority. The 330,000 Catholics in the state represent about 10 percent of the population, said Jean Hill in the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City.

William had just returned to school after attending Catholic Mass when Patterson called the ash "unsuitable" and gave him a rag to clean him up in front of his classmates, Fisher said.

Patterson was summoned to a meeting with the director and school board about the incident and called Fisher to apologize, said Davis District School District spokesman Chris Williams the week last. The Davis School District opened an investigation into Patterson's actions and put him on paid administrative leave.

Williams said there was no update on the ongoing investigation into Patterson's stock.

Tiffany Ivan Spence, who claimed to be the parent of one of William's classmates, also added that she thought the cross on the boy's forehead was clay. She said that it was a misunderstanding and not an attack on religion.

"He came to my house and for me it was like a job," said Ivan Spence. "When I saw Will for the first time, my instinct was also to give her a wipe.This would have made sense for anyone who cares about the children to help her if she did not know that she was going to be sick. she had her head. "