Teacher: No Clue that noose costume would offend parents
A board game was the genesis of a Halloween costume at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. The school apologized as parents met and called for action and respect for cultural diversity.
PARENTS AT THE private Springside Chestnut Hill Academy met yesterday amid concerns over a middle-school teacher who wore a noose costume to a Halloween parade.
Parents held meetings yesterday - one in the morning and one in the evening at two churches - to discuss how to respond to the school administration. The meetings followed an initial meeting at the school last Friday.
One parent said in a telephone interview that she was "absolutely" offended by the noose outfit worn Oct. 30.
"It calls to mind issues of lynching and suicide," said the parent, who asked to remain anonymous out of concern that her child would be identified.
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy sits on 62 acres in Chestnut Hill, with a combined enrollment of about 1,100 students. Its website says its student body is 33 percent minority. The parade was at the middle school at Cherokee Street near Willow Grove Avenue.
In a statement yesterday, Caroline Colantuno, senior director of marketing and communications for the school, said the school "issues an apology as a result of a regrettable incident due to a teacher's poor choice in Halloween costume."
She said that before the parade, a group of faculty chose a theme of board-game characters.
"Unfortunately, one of the costume choices was inappropriate, and not in keeping with SCH Academy's mission or philosophy."
Parents said that the unidentified teacher had based his costume on the board game Clue.
Online advertising for Clue game replacements describe the noose as one of several weapons for the Clue Master Detective.
Other weapons are a wrench, a lead pipe, a revolver, and horseshoe and candlestick weapons.
At a meeting last night at Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church, near Cheltenham Mall, the Rev. Alyn E. Waller called the incident disturbing because of the racial implications of lynching and also because of concerns for teenagers and suicide.
He also said it was a time to think of redemption, even for the teacher, for whom the controversy may be "a teachable moment."
After Waller opened the meeting, parents decided it should be private and a Daily News reporter left.
Another group of parents had met yesterday morning at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields in Chestnut Hill.
One parent said meetings were held yesterday because parents believed that the school's initial response had been "too tepid."
She also said that parents wanted to meet with school officials about disproportionate disciplinary action against black boys and the need for a more diverse faculty and staff. About 16 parents met at Enon, 14 of whom were black and two white.
Colantuno's statement said the Nov. 6 meeting at the school was "the first in a series of small group discussion forums for parents interested in sharing thoughts and hopes":
"SCH cherishes and celebrates the rich diversity within its community and is committed to working together to build a school community that is diverse, harmonious and inclusive. There is more work to do as we continue to develop cross-cultural awareness and a shared sense of mutuality and respect."
On Twitter: @ValerieRussDN