Upset parents hold own celebration after Md. elementary school cancels Halloween festivities

SILVER SPRING, Md. - Some parents are upset after an elementary school in Montgomery County canceled all of its Halloween festivities on Monday.

Parents and students at Cloverly Elementary School in Silver Spring were told last Friday about the controversial decision after some parents decided they did not want their kids to participate.

According to Montgomery County Public Schools spokesperson Derek Turner, each principal is allowed to decide whether or not to host Halloween festivities. When the school discovered there were enough parents who did not want their child to participate in Halloween events, Cloverly's principal, Dr. Melissa Brunson, canceled Monday's parade and parties.

This decision angered some parents and they took matters into their own hands to bring Halloween spirit to their children. Dozens of parents signed their kids out of school early and brought them to the park next to the school for their own party and parade on Monday afternoon.

"I was little disappointed about it," one parent told FOX 5. They have been doing it for 20, 25 years, but I understand not wanting to exclude some students."

Another said, "I can appreciate that certain kids don't want to celebrate or their families don't want to celebrate, but my understanding is it's the minority - about 10 percent, 15 percent."

Tony, a fifth grade student at Cloverly, said the school has made up multiple different reasons as to why the festivities are canceled.

"First they said because not enough people were participating in the Halloween party. Then they said because because it wasn't safe to do the parade outside, and then stuff like that," he said.

Parents said class work is important, but they think their kids learned an even more important lesson about how to deal with adversity and turn it into something positive.

"That's what I want for my kids - critical thinking," said Angela Edwards. "There are times when authority is right, but there are times when it does not, and only in critical thinking are our kids going to survive in this world."

The school announced they will have a fall festival in the coming week to replace the Halloween festivities.