Mayor Who Criticised Halloween Punished
A church-going former mayor in Warwickshire who declined to take part in a Halloween event has been found in breach of equality rules for upsetting pagans.
Tom Wilson, who is a member at Manor Court Baptist Church in Nuneaton, said he believed Halloween was a “pagan festival” and that he did not want to be associated with it. But his comments, in 2009, were attacked by pagans who complained to Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council. In January 2012, the former mayor has been officially reprimanded for the comments and been instructed to make a written apology in the press. The ex-mayor, who is still a councillor at the Council, said: “I feel the punishment is harsh and I feel it has been a dreadful waste of time and money. ... This happened nearly two years and five months ago and I hate to think how much money it has cost the council taxpayers’.” Sources: http://www.christian.org.uk/news/punished-mayor-who-criticised-halloween/?e200112 http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2012/01/12/former-nuneaton-and-bedworth-mayor-rapped-over-halloween-comments-92746-30105093/ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9006814/Mayor-who-refused-to-judge-Halloween-pumpkin-carving-competition-rapped-for-upsetting-pagans.html http://www.christian.org.uk/news/bbc-criticised-over-extent-of-its-halloween-coverage/ http://www.christian.org.uk/news/pagan-police-granted-time-off-for-festivals/