SHEBOYGAN, Wis., Feb. 16 (UPI) -- A Wisconsin second grader was barred from handing out religious Valentines he made for his friends for Valentine's Day.
Dexter Thielhelm, a student at James Madison Elementary School in Sheboygan, worked with his mom and siblings to create Valentines of candy and a special message of love for his classmates, The Sheboygan Press reported.
The boy's Valentines included a Bible verse and the words "Jesus loves you" on rolled-up pieces of paper.
But the Valentines never reached his friends because they were confiscated by school officials before he was able to hand them out Tuesday.
Dexter's mother, Melissa Wolf, was told by Principal Matthew Driscoll it was district policy the Christian Valentines not be distributed.
"He wishes I would have asked him for permission to hand out this questionable material," said Wolf. "I did not get an apology. I got an apology that he didn't call me; I didn't get an apology for taking this away from my children. He sat and listened to me kindly and heard the things that made me upset."
Wolf said Driscoll took her son aside and tried to explain why he couldn't pass out his Valentines.
"I would have preferred to be the one to deliver the message," she said. "I feel like there's a way my son wouldn't have been the one singled out, made to feel isolated. He's extremely confused."
