SOMA: Seth Boyden School Continues Halloween Costume, Candy Ban

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — A New Jersey school principal plans to continue a Halloween ban started by his predecessor last year, reports say.

In a letter sent earlier this month, Damion Frye, the new principal at Seth Boyden Elementary School in Maplewood, asked parents and guardians to keep their children from coming to school with costumes or candy on Monday, Oct. 31.

In the letter, which can be seen at Maplewoodian.com, Frye wrote:

“In keeping with last year’s decision, please do not send your child to school in costume with candy on October 31st. We thank you in advance for your continued cooperation.”

Frye, who took over as principal on July 5, is a father of two who grew up in Montclair and graduated from Montclair High School in 1994.

• See related article: Seth Boyden School Gets New Principal

Seth Boyden made headlines in 2015 following then-principal Mark Quiles’ ban of in-school Halloween activities.

In a letter explaining the decision to parents and guardians, Quiles cited a desire to respect the school’s “diverse community” and stated that as many as 20 percent of students didn’t participate in 2014 Halloween activities.

Quiles had also attempted to ban the holiday at the school in 2014, but Halloween activities were rescheduled shortly afterwards when South Orange-Maplewood School District Acting Superintendent James Memoli sent out a letter reversing Quiles’ decision.

• See related article: Halloween Cancelled Due To 'Diversity': Maplewood School Principal Nixes Holiday Celebrations

While all costumes may be banned at Seth Boyden for 2016, several other Essex County school districts have chosen to specifically ban clown costumes in the wake of the nationwide “creepy clown” scares.

• See related article: Halloween Costume Bans: Multiple Essex County Schools Say ‘No Clowns’ For 2016

Photo: Flickr Commons, Casey Fleser

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