School Cancels Halloween

Officials at a suburban Philadelphia elementary school have decided to cancel a Halloween parade and other Halloween celebrations. The school cited a ban on promoting religious beliefs.

Parents received a letter from the principal at Inglewood Elementary School in Lansdale on Tuesday, October 1, 2013.

The letter said parents were told that holidays like Halloween are seen by some as non-religious and viewed by others as having religious overtones.

But it said school districts are barred from promoting religious beliefs. While they can teach about religious and cultural practices, they cannot sponsor them.