School Principal and Iron Maiden Fan Under Fire for “Allegiance to Satanic Practices”
Sharon Burns, principal of Eden High School in St. Catherines, Ontario, has come under fire from some of her students’ parents… ostensibly for being an Iron Maiden fan.
The controversy began when Burns posted a pair of photos on Instagram. In the first (above), she’s throwning horns while standing in front of an Iron Maiden banner and license plate; in the second (below), an Eddie the Head doll rests on her dashboard, along with a sign that says “Eddie 666.”
The photos — which Burns has since deleted from her account — lead to the creation of a petition entitled Eden High School Principal, Sharon Burns, Needs To Be Transferred Immediately!. The petition, which ultimately garnered upwards of 500 signatures before being shut down, read in part:
“As concerned parents… we are deeply disturbed that the principal assigned to the school blatantly showed Satanic symbols and her allegiance to Satanic practices on her public social media platforms where all the students can see them under.
“As parents we are demanding her transfer to another school. Please replace her with another principal who aligns with the values of the families at Eden and will not sabotage the teaching or upholding of those values and will not try to introduce impressionable students to Satanic practices or symbolism.”
After some members of the school community objected to persecuting Burns on account of her taste in music, the group added:
“If she had not posted a picture of her own handmade 666 sign, this petition WOULD NOT EXIST. Nobody cares what band she likes and this is not about her choice in what she listens to. That would be petty and nonsensical.”
Thankfully, a counter petition, We Need Mrs. Burns, has been launched in response, and has thus far received 20,000+ signatures. It seems like a safe bet that a lot of those are not from members of the Eden High School student body or their parents, but hopefully it helps save her job regardless.
That petition states:
“It is ridiculous that a couple of parents only judge her role as a principal only based on an Instagram post. Eden High School is a public school. Not a Christian school.
“If you somehow don’t like the principal of your child, grandchild, relative etc.’s school, then send them to another one. The principal has made so many efforts to remind students that Eden is a diverse place. She has even turned a whole room into a prayer room for students who are practicing religions other than Christianity, like practicing Islam. She has made Eden a safe space for so many people.
“[Burns] spreads nothing but love and kindness, and is probably one of the best and most enthusiastic principals the school has ever had.”
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