GLOUCESTER , MASS. (WHDH) - A Halloween decoration featuring a tombstone with the name Don Trump on it quickly drew the attention of officials at an elementary school in Gloucester last week, leaving some in the community outraged.
The tombstone was one of several on a game brought in by a parent for a party at West Parish Elementary on Friday. The other tombstones had joke names, like Seymour Butts, Your Name Here and Gull E. Bull on them.
The school’s principal immediately apologized for the incident, calling it disrespectful, but many say the decoration did not belong in the school.
“Putting the name of the sitting US president on a tombstone is a pretty violent thing to do,” said Amanda Orlando Kesterson, Chairwoman of the Gloucester Republican Committee. “It’s so clearly inappropriate in an elementary school setting to be putting forth a political agenda.”
A parent snapped a photo of the decoration and sent it to the chairwoman, who then posted it on social media.
“I think people justifiable responded to the intrusion of political ideology in out education and they had a problem with it,” Kesterson said.
In a letter to parents Sunday, principal Telena Imel wrote that the game was intended to be humorous but “inappropriately brought a political agenda into what was designed to be a fun family affair.”
The game in question required students to knock down the different tombstones. The parent who brought in the game wrote an apology letter, expressing remorse for “tainting such an a successful event that was meant to bring the community together.”
The school says it will work with parents to ensure such happenings don’t take place at events in the future.
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