Pa. school district asks bus drivers to 'remove' Christmas decor for 'inclusivity,' sparking outrage

PHILADELPHIA (CITC) — A Pennsylvania school district is walking back a message to bus drivers instructing them to remove all Christmas decorations from their buses.

A memo initially sent to drivers at Wallingford-Swarthmore School District demanded they remove any decorations associated with the holiday, citing a need for "inclusivity" and a district policy concerning religious holidays.

“If you have decorated your bus with anything specific to the Christmas Holiday or any other decorations relating to a specific religion, please remove them immediately,” a copy of the memo obtained by Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) reads. “In addition, employees are instructed not to wear clothing related to Christmas or any other religious holiday.”

The directive drew widespread outrage online, leading community members to confront the school district over the policy.

“In response to community concerns I have received about religious neutrality, I reminded the Supervisor of Transportation to remind you to find a balance of the District’s attempts to be inclusive of a diverse range of holiday traditions,” Wallingford-Swarthmore Superintendent Wagner Marseille wrote in a letter obtained by CITC. “To the extent that this reminder led to the communication that decorations and songs typically associated with the Christmas holiday were not permitted, this was not the intent, and efforts have been made internally to clarify this point to avoid any confusion moving forward.”

READ MORE | New Jersey school district bans Halloween costumes, activities to 'instill greater equity'

In another communication, Marseille explained to district parents that the message had caused unintended confusion.

“I did not intend -- in any way -- for drivers to feel they needed to turn off the holiday music, take down all the decorations or not wear any holiday clothing,” the superintendent said. “I want to be abundantly clear that we are not in any way trying to remove all signs of Christmas from our school buses or our schools."

Commenters on the school district’s Facebook page expressed outrage nonetheless.

“Attn bus drivers: ‘Please don’t forget to cover your bus in pride flags and wear you pride clothing in June!’” another said.

READ MORE | Wisconsin city pushes 'inclusive' Christmas decorations, avoiding red and green, report says

Wallingford-Swarthmore is not the only school district to attempt to place restrictions on holidays recently. The South Orange and Maplewood School District in New Jersey came under fire in October for banning Halloween costumes and activities to "instill greater equity."

An elementary school principal in the district cited differing religious beliefs, saying allowing Halloween activities may push some families to "make decisions that may be counter to their belief system."

A spokesperson for Wallingford-Swarthmore told CITC Tuesday the district is “committed to providing a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment for all students and employees.”

Have something for the Crisis in the Classroom team to investigate? Call or text the national tip line at 202-417-7273.

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