Children at a suburban Philadelphia elementary school won’t get to celebrate Halloween this year because officials have decided the holiday may have “religious overtones.”
In a letter to parents on Tuesday, Inglewood Elementary School Principal Orlando Taylor said all Halloween activities have been canceled, a local ABC affiliate reported.
“Some holidays observed in the community that are considered by many people to be secular (ex. Halloween, Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day) are viewed by others as having religious overtones. The district must always be mindful of the sensitivity of all the members of the community with regard to holidays and celebrations of a religious, cultural or secular nature,” Mr. Taylor wrote.
Parents had mixed reactions to the decision.
“I think it’s a disgrace,” David Braun told ABC 6. “I can’t even explain how infuriated I am with this. Now we’re taking out Halloween. Even with the Pledge of Allegiance, that was up for debate because we mentioned God in it. When are people just going to stop and let schools be schools?”
Another parent wrote, “We kept our kids home from school on that day because we didn’t participate in it. And sometimes they would just sit in the office.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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