Pink Hello Kitty Christmas tree allowed back in Maine classroom, principal says
The Hello Kitty Christmas tree will be allowed to stay after all.
Bangor High School Principal Paul Butler has reversed his decision that the pink tree in math teacher Catherine Gordon’s classroom did not align with the school’s standards of educating students about holidays through curriculum ties.
Butler said in a statement Tuesday that the tree “ultimately highlights the universal nature of holiday celebration’’ and “is therefore appropriate for the school setting.’’ In short, it can stay.
From Butler’s statement:
On Friday of last week, a concern was shared with me regarding an inconsistency with our balanced approach to holiday observances, which I communicate annually. I contacted the teacher, shared and then clarified the concern about a classroom Christmas tree, and offered an opportunity to meet and discuss the situation in person. While this conversation ultimately did not take place, 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. The Christmas tree that has been the focus of this discussion does so, and is therefore appropriate for the school setting.
Moving forward, I continue to believe that it is not only important but also possible to broadly discuss and observe traditions with the mindset that inclusive, planful consideration of many does not weaken any single one– a critical element of a balanced approach.
Butler had emailed Gordon on Friday telling her to remove the tree.
Gordon then took to Facebook, saying she was “very sad’’ about the school’s initial decision against her tree.
“I feel that this is definitely a turning point in our society—when everything offends everyone all the time—it just sucks the joy out of everything,’’ she wrote.
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Her story went viral.
Gordon told Bangor’s WLBZ she had decorated her classroom for the holidays for 30 years, with a tree as part of those decorations almost every year.
“It just seems that in our quest to be tolerant of everything, we’ve become intolerant to everything,’’ an emotional Gordon said in a Bangor Daily News video.
Maine Congressman Bruce Poliquin, who represents Bangor, even urged school officials to reconsider their decision in an official statement on Monday.
Since the school reversed its decision, Gordon said in a Facebook post Tuesday that she was “glad to have the opportunity for an open discussion on this important topic within the school and community.’’
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