Massachusetts School District Cancels Halloween Parade To Promote ‘Equity And Inclusion’

School officials in Northboro, Massachusetts, sent a letter to parents this week stating they would be cancelling a traditional Halloween parade through school halls, WBZ reported.

Northboro has held a Halloween tradition for years that encouraged elementary school students to dress in their costumes and “parade” around the school, according to WBZ.

This year students will instead participate in a “fall-themed spirit day” to comply with the district’s “core values of equity and inclusion,” school leaders reportedly said in the letter. However, they didn’t specify how this would align with the equity and inclusion goal, the outlet reported.

“I understand that the Halloween parade was a wonderful memory-making experience for many students and families,” Superintendent Gregory Martineau said at a School Committee meeting Wednesday. “However, this is not the case for many students.”