IRASBURG, Vt. -- Parents in Irasburg, Vt., said a teacher crossed the line between church and state when he gave out a handout entitled, "Why Jesus is Better than Santa Claus."

Parents also said that the handout is reflective of a pattern of religious-themed material being given by Irasburg Village School language arts teacher Wally Rogers.

Mel Downs, a father of a seventh-grader at the school, said Rogers has the Ten Commandments on a classroom wall and religious-themed books on the shelves. Downs said he contacted the American Civil Liberties Union, which sent a letter to the school's superintendent.

Downs said he doesn't want other people teaching his kids religious beliefs contrary to his own.

The school's principal, Paul Simmons, said the Ten Commandments poster and questionable books were removed from the classroom. He also said he's observed Roger's class several times and never heard him speak about religious material.

The school board is currently investigating religious links on Roger's Web page on the school Web site. They also issued a reminder to all teachers that religious beliefs should not be shared in the classroom.

On Friday, several parents said they will keep their kids at home until the matter is resolved.