A school district in New Jersey has reportedly banned all Halloween-themed events and costumes so no one feels excluded — leading even the Garden State’s Democratic governor to give a virtual eye-roll on social media.
In a letter to parents earlier this month, Superintendent Dr. Ronald Taylor of the South Orange-Maplewood School District said the decision to bar students from celebrating the holiday in class “may make some uncomfortable and elicit some challenges across our community,” according to NBC New York.
“However, in the end, I feel these recommendations align with [the district’s] commitment to building equity, fostering inclusion, and building a sense of belonging throughout our schools.”
The move is aimed at protecting students who either don’t celebrate the holiday for religious reasons or can’t afford a costume, the New York Times said.
The district also said its 10 school principals were “overwhelmingly in favor” of ending the celebrations, and wanted to hold some kind of fall festival instead, according to NBC.
Some parents liked the idea, with mom-of-three Megan Goslink saying her kids’ elementary school had already stopped celebrating for this exact reason.
“And honestly, having three kids, it’s kind of annoying having to get them ready and a costume,” said Goslink told the station.
But New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy greeted the news a little differently.
“Seriously? We can’t let kids celebrate Halloween? Give me a break,” the two-term Democrat posted on X.
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Some of the district’s elementary schools will move forward with a fall or harvest festival on Oct. 31, according to the Times.
Districts in other states have done similar things — with mixed results.
In 2021, the East Lansing public school district in Michigan canceled Halloween and Valentine’s Day because some students don’t celebrate, according to the Times.
“We have young children who become overwhelmed and sometimes frightened of the costumes and others who come to school with no costume at all,” the district’s elementary school principals wrote to parents.
But a district in Northborough, Massachusetts, this month reversed course after a similar move because of the unintended backlash, the Times said.
Despite the governor’s comments, the South Orange-Maplewood district won’t be changing directions, a representative told the newspaper.
“All of us realize that this breaks with what the district has usually done, and that can be a difficult thing to do sometimes,” Dr. Kevin Gilbert, the assistant superintendent of access and equity, said in a statement.
“Often, working to instill greater equity in our district begins with recognizing that we cannot do what we have always done.”
