Hillsboro Schools to Santa: You are Welcome Here

Santa - if you're out there and reading this - rest assured: you are welcome in Hillsboro schools. A memo that asked teachers to refrain from Santa images in holiday door decorations has been portrayed by some media outlets as a "Santa ban."

The school district says that is absolutely not the case.

"We ask that you be respectful and sensitive to the diverse perspectives and beliefs of our community and refrain from using religious-themed decorations or images like Santa Claus," said the memo.

The district says that it all started with the human resources team sending out a memo to central office staff saying there would not be a door decorating contest this year because the competition had led to some decorations getting excessive.

Parts of that memo then got shared with some school administrators "as a reminder to to be aware, reasonable, and inclusive about the environments created in our schools over the holiday season," according to the district.

Some administrators passed the message on to their staff members, and at least one recipient elected to contact the media. That outlet ran the story with a headline saying Hillsboro schools were banning Santa.

The district says it's just not true.

"We have no policies or directives around this issue, we merely want to remind staff that we need to create inclusive and welcoming spaces for all of our students and realize that many of our students—because of their religion, culture, or other beliefs—do not feel comfortable (and in many cases may not be allowed by their parents) participating in activities that are holiday-based or religious in nature, or being surrounded by imagery that is a direct affront to them."

So, Santa... if you're out there. You are still welcome in Hillsboro.

Image via ShutterStock