A school district in the Philadelphia suburbs has canceled its Halloween parade out of safety and inclusivity concerns.
The Lower Merion School District had originally taken the annual Halloween parade at its six elementary schools off the school calendar a few weeks ago without explanation, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Parents weren’t notified about the decision until their respective school principals emailed them last Friday.
Amy Buckman, the director of school and community relations, told WPVI-TV that safety concerns became more pronounced after the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old football player outside of Roxborough High School a few weeks ago.