Somerville: Kennedy School principal bans Halloween, Thanksgiving and Columbus Day.

In Somerville, Massachusetts, the Kennedy Elementary School principal has caused outrage by banning Halloween, Thanksgiving and Columbus Day, saying they are insensitive.

Anne Foley, the principal of an elementary school in Somerville, sent an email to teachers warning them about celebrating Thanksgiving.

The Kennedy School principal wrote: “When we were young we might have been able to claim ignorance of the atrocities that Christopher Columbus committed against the indigenous peoples.

“We can no longer do so. For many of us and our students celebrating this particular person is an insult and a slight to the people he annihilated.

“On the same lines, we need to be careful around the Thanksgiving Day time as well.”

Boston Herald reported that Anne Foley had already told staff not to let the kids dress up for Halloween.

Speaking to Boston Herald, superintendant Tony Pierantozzi said that Halloween is “problematic” because of connections to witchcraft.

Several parents of Kennedy School students thought that Anne Foley was over reacting in her decision.

One of the parents told MyFoxBoston: “I don’t think they should not be able to celebrate these holidays I mean this country was formed with the idea that everything is a free country, and they should be able to celebrate these holidays.”

Joe Curtatone , Somerville Mayor, who has three kids at Kennedy School, also had an opinion about the principal’s decision.

“I’m the son of Italian immigrations, so I take Columbus Day very near and dear, and I’m proud that he discovered America and that America’s named after another Italian.

“If we ignore and we don’t want to talk about it, if we want to stifle debate, then we’re ignoring history.”

Kennedy School is not the only school banning holidays this year. Some schools in Ithaca, N.Y. have nixed traditions of celebrating Halloween. South Hill Elementary and Northeast Elementary Schools will not be hosting their annual Halloween parade and classroom parties, according to Ithaca Journal.