Maine School Reverses Decision, Says Hello Kitty Tree Can Stay
BANGOR, Maine (CBS/AP) — The Hello Kitty Christmas tree will stay.
Bangor High School has reversed an earlier decision that forced a teacher to remove a small pink Christmas tree festooned with the character Hello Kitty from her classroom.
"I did review various reasoned perspectives on the topic that have satisfied an important professional responsibility: to ensure that the sharing of any one tradition ultimately highlights the universal nature of holiday celebration," said Bangor High School Principal Paul Butler in a statement on the school's site. "The Christmas tree that has been the focus of this discussion does so, and is therefore appropriate for the school setting."
Catherine Gordon is a math teacher at Bangor High School. After Butler initially ordered her to remove the tree, she wrote on her Facebook page that "everything offends everyone all the time" and that it "just sucks the joy out of everything."
The news of the pink tree's removal took off on social media Monday. Even Republican congressman Bruce Poliquin weighed in, saying the school went too far in ordering the tree's removal.
WLBZ-TV reports the school superintendent issued a statement saying culture, traditions and holidays must have an educational component and must be tied to curriculum. In the Principal's statement, he said someone had raised a concern with him "regarding an inconsistency with our balanced approach to holiday observances, which I communicate annually."
