Milford Schools Criticized Nationally Over 'Halloween Ban'

After a national firestorm erupted regarding the Milford Public Schools canceling Halloween parades and not allowing staff and students to wear costumes to school, Superintendent of Schools Elizabeth Feser said the district has been “accused of being un-American.”

After a torrent of negative publicity, Feser and Milford school administrators reversed course and have decided to allow the Halloween parades to go on as usual at the elementary schools.

Feser, in an emotional statement released to the local and national media, said the “spreading of untruths by parents and members of the community was very disturbing.”

She made it clear the school system never sought to ban Halloween in the schools as has been alleged. In fact, the schools chief said administrators planned on creating a family Halloween celebration that “would be inclusive of all children, would involve parents, and perhaps the larger community, would engage children in games, activities and more.”

Initially, Feser and the elementary school principals decided to cancel the parades saying there have been “numerous incidents of children being excluded from activities due to religious, cultural beliefs, etc. School-day activities must be inclusive.”

Milford school officials were not just hammered at home but the story went national as Facebook made it its top trending story for billions of its users to see prominently.

Fox News, the Washington Post, the Drudge Report, and the National Review all picked up the story.

The National Review’s picking up on the story isn’t surprising because its Publisher Jack Fowler hails from Milford. The National Review based in New York is the nation’s most widely circulated conservative magazine.

Fowler laid out a blistering attack of the Milford Public Schools, saying, “So this is why Trump has such appeal. Not because of his policy genius, but because he has become the one-stop shopping for folks who are fed up over political correctness, of being attacked for micro-aggressing and macro-aggressing and trigger-warning and white-privileging and not knowing the 57 new genders and just being no-good racists because they disagree with Obama or use the word “Chicago” in a sarcastic way or think the Ferguson riots were without merit and fill in about a thousand more blanks.

“And damned, I am about ready to sign up for Trump based on the complete and utter idiocy of the Milford CT (my home town) public schools, which has now banned Halloween celebrations. Heck, I am all for schools being about, yeah, education, but once or twice a year, kids having some annual, traditional fun -- it’s a good thing.”

After Feser reversed course late Monday, Fowler was unimpressed, telling Milford Patch: “This isn’t so much about parades as it is about highly paid liberal bureaucrats systematically and eagerly crushing and outlawing all sorts of things -- from Santa Claus to cupcakes to balloons to cough drops -- that normal people find ... normal. The micro-aggressed victim rules and the rest of us had better just shut up and swallow another daily dose of leftism,” Fowler said.

Milford’s Democratic Town Chairman Richard Smith responded to Fowler’s comments saying, “Folks, correct, superintendent and elementary school principals made the decision. The Democratic Mayor, Democratic BOE and the Democratic Town Chair have all spoken out against it BUT please, don’t disturb Jack with any facts. It’s Obama’s fault!”

The People Have Spoken

Milford parents recently started a petition at Change.org calling on the schools to restore the parade. As of 9 a.m. Tuesday, more than 3,000 people have signed the petition.

Milford Patch readers wrote on Facebook that they are glad the parades are back on but they weren’t happy with Feser’s comments, which many of them took as a personal attack on them.

Susan Gelormine Merrill wrote, “I’m so glad that the parade is on. My children went to Milford schools and just loved celebrating halloween in school. Finally the voice of the people have been heard. We as parents are just thinking of our kids and letting them enjoy their childhood like we did and it’s called a tradition.”

“While I’m happy the decision was reversed, I’m disgusted with the unprofessional conduct of the superintendent insulting all the parents and taxpayers for not agreeing with her,” Patrick Kingsley said.

Meg Tobin Brennan wrote, “I can’t figure out why (Feser) thought it would be a good idea to put a letter out such as she did....filled with so much anger, blaming, and distaste. To me, her response letter is the actual “antithesis of what we try to teach children”...to use her words.”

In Feser’s statement she said, “The false accusations that have been made are irresponsible, and the antithesis of what we try to teach children. 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,” Feser added.

Cindy Gallant Lucas wrote on Milford Patch, “I just can’t believe this whole spectacle for a Halloween parade. There has to be more important things to focus your energy on people. Take your kids out trick or treating in your neighborhood and call it a day!”