Trick or treat? Give me something good to eat!
This chant will again echo in the halls of schools in Milford, Conn., since the school district reversed its decision Monday to cancel Halloween parades. Initially, the parades were canceled due to the fear of excluding children who didn't want to take part in it, according to Fox News.
Apparently, the controversy of cancelling the Halloween parades became a distraction, wrote Milford Superintendent Elizabeth Feser in a letter. She explained that the parades were initially canceled because she was trying to make a Halloween celebration that could be celebrated by all students, regardless of religious or cultural backgrounds. All Halloween-related costumes were banned, all activities would have a fall theme and Halloween-themed food wasn't allowed.
"Milford Public Schools do have many children from diverse beliefs, cultures and religions," said Jim Richetelli, the chief operations officer of Milford Public Schools. "The goal is for all children to feel comfortable and definitely not alienated when they come to school."
However, this movement was stalled when an online petition was created asking the school district to unban the parades, according to Eyewitness News ABC 7. The petition was started by a student's parent, Rebecca Lilley, who used Change.org to fight the cancellation of the parades. She was able to collect more than 200 signatures in support. "We were never attacking the integrity of the Milford school system," said Lilley, reported Journal News.
"These are our American customs and traditions and we should not have to give them up because others find them offensive," explained Lilley on the petition page. "I'm so tired [of] my kids missing out on some of the things we all got to do as children, and are some of the greatest childhood memories I have, due to others saying they find it offensive."
The parents of the students in the school district received a letter confirming that the parades will be held Oct. 30.
"The principals and I are about educating our children. With this in mind, knowing that the issue of Halloween is detracting from what we are truly about, and our time with our children around teaching and learning is most important, we have decided to reverse our decision," explained Feser in the letter.
