DAILY DOSE: Parents offended by SCH teacher's costume

Posted 11/10/15

The Cherokee Campus at SCH. A Springside Chestnut Hill Academy middle-school teacher is at the center of a controversy after he wore a noose as part of his costume to the school's Halloween parade. …

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DAILY DOSE: Parents offended by SCH teacher's costume

Posted
The Cherokee Campus at SCH. The Cherokee Campus at SCH.

A Springside Chestnut Hill Academy middle-school teacher is at the center of a controversy after he wore a noose as part of his costume to the school's Halloween parade.

Philly.com reported today that a group of parents met at SCH on Nov. 6 to discuss the ramifications of the costume, which one said, “calls to mind issues of lynching and suicide.” Parents then met privately on Monday to discuss how the administration should further respond to the incident. The meetings were called after parents said the school's initial response was “too tepid.”

Caroline Colantuno, senior director of marketing and communications at SCH, said in a statement on Monday that the school “issues an apology as a result of a regrettable incident due to a teacher's poor choice in a Halloween costume.”

Colantuno said a group of faculty chose to dress as board game characters for the parade, which was held at the middle-school on Oct. 30. She said the teacher, who has not been identified, based his costume on the board game “Clue Master Detective.” According to the article, the noose game piece is one of several weapons featured in the game.

"Unfortunately, one of the costume choices was inappropriate, and not in keeping with SCH Academy's mission or philosophy," Colantuno said.

Parents and faculty will continue to host “small group discussion forums for parents interested in sharing thoughts and hopes."

To read the full article, visit www.philly.com/philly/education/20151110_Teacher_No_Clue_that_noose_costume_would_offend_parents.html.

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