Christian school removes cross from logo, sparking anger among parents

Parents expressed outrage when a new Church of England-affiliated primary school decided to remove a featured Christian cross on its logo for fear it was offensive.

According to the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, parents felt furious when they noticed that the newly opened Oak CE Primary School altered its original logo design by replacing the symbolic cross with three branches of a tree.

The primary school in Crosland Moor district of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire became the largest in the Huddersfield area after three nursery schools — Crosland Moor Junior, Dryclough Infants and Thornton Lodge — merged together. A student from one of these schools who entered a competition designed the original logo with a cross.

"Staff have said people have complained about the cross yet the head is saying it was only temporary," said Niki Trepak, a mother with four children attending the school, as reported by the publication.

On Monday, June 27, headteacher David Bendall wrote to the parents to tell them that the original logo was never considered final and was only temporary. The parents, however, did not buy it.

"Why would you make temporary banners and produce temporary uniforms?" Trepak asked.

She considered the diverse community of Huddersfield with many Muslims residing in the area but dismissed the idea that the religious symbol offended them.

"I've got quite a few Muslim friends at the school and I asked them does the cross offend you and they said no," she said. "This isn't about race, it's the fact that they've removed the cross so as to not offend people. If it's going to remain a Church of England school it should keep the cross."

On Wednesday, June 29, the Examiner reported that the school just went on "lockdown."  The school informed the parents through a text message that it would only open the Main Gate from 3:10 p.m. to ensure security for everyone following the logo controversy.