Halloween is off the table during school hours for students in New Jersey’s South Orange-Maplewood School District due to concerns about fairness.

Costumes and Halloween events aren’t allowed in schools, and elementary schools can hold fall and harvest-themed activities only on Tuesday, Superintendent Ronald Taylor said in a letter to families on Oct. 6.

The decision to ax Halloween drew opposition from Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat.

“Seriously? We can’t let kids celebrate Halloween? Give me a break,” he wrote Tuesday on X.

In his letter, Mr. Taylor noted the questions the district asked itself about Halloween activities, including the possible creation of financial hardship for families, the violation of cultural and religious dignity for families and creating tension with the district’s “equity and access values.”

The decision was made, Mr. Taylor wrote, after internal research that wasn’t elaborated on in the letter.

“I know this may make some uncomfortable and elicit some challenges across our community. However, in the end, I feel these recommendations align with SOMSD’s commitment to building equity, fostering inclusion and building a sense of belonging throughout our schools,” Mr. Taylor wrote at the end of the letter.

Parents are conflicted on the policy change.

“As a parent, I really enjoyed, at the elementary school level, the kids would do a parade, and we would get to see them in costumes,” Leslie Springer, mother of three students in the district, told TV channel News 12 New Jersey.

Fellow parent Sabrina Grant was more onboard, telling WABC-TV, “I know some parents can’t afford to get costumes, especially if they have multiple kids, and they want specific ones. … It gets a little bit hard. I think it’s good, it’s inclusive.”

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.