HUDDERSFIELD, England – Parents at the newly established Oak CE Primary School in Huddersfield are fuming after they allege school officials removed a Christian cross on the school logo to not offend Muslims.

“The offensive card is always played and this one time that I was proud of something, only to have it snatched back,” parent Chelsea Fox told The Sun. “I’m not only disappointed, I’m disgusted.”

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The school logo, which consisted of a tree with a cross trunk and three acorns on a hill, was changed in the school’s recent newsletter to feature three branches on the tree. The initial logo was created in a competition at three schools that merged into the town’s largest primary school, according to the news site.

The school is sponsored by the Church of England, and many parents upset about the change believe the logo should reflect its religious roots.

“Yes it has remained a Church of England school as it is the church that keeps it open. That needs to be given more respect,” Fox said. “Thank the church for your children’s school instead of complaining about a logo.”

School officials contend the logo was never finalized, and the tree bearing the cross was temporary. But parents pointed out that the school invested in embroidered uniforms and a large banner with the original design, and contend the real motivation behind the change was to appease the large local Muslim population, the Examiner reports.

“Staff have said people have complained about the cross yet the head is saying it was only temporary,” said parent Niki Trepak, one of several who recently gathered in front of the school to protest the change. “Why would you make temporary banners and produce temporary uniforms?”

Trepak said parents understand the school is sponsored by the Church of England when they enroll their children.

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“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 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,” Trepak told the Examiner.

Another mum told the news site that scrubbing the cross from the logo was “disgusting.”

“They will want all of the crosses taken out of the school next,” the unidentified woman said.

School headteacher David Bendall issued a statement defending the decision.

From the Examiner:

The logo featuring a cross was a temporary design whilst we made the transition to becoming Oak Primary School.

It was not confirmed as the final logo and was amended to give more prominence to the tree, which not only reflects the school name but is also an ancient symbol representing many beliefs.

Changing the design to include three branches also meant we could signify the way Oak Primary was formed, which was three schools joining together as one. …

We are a very diverse community school and it’s central to our ethos that children of all backgrounds are treated exactly the same.