(Photo credit: MGN)
By Dan Mannarino, WPIX, Reporting, Courtesy CNN
CONEY ISLAND, New York — It's a story that certainly has parents fuming while scratching their heads over a decision made by a school principal that is a bit out of tune.
Greta Hawkins is the principal of PS 90, the Edna Cohen School in Coney Island. According to parents of the Kindergarten class, Hawkins has banned the students from singing "God Bless the USA" at their graduation. The thing is, the little kids have been rehearsing the patriotic tune for weeks now, and were disappointed and confused at the principal's decision.
Parents say Hawkins demanded the song be dropped from the program citing that the song offends other cultures.
What is even more out of tune, parents say, is the Department of Education's response. They stand by the principal, saying the song is too old for this age group.
Instead, they are allowing the children to sing Justin Bieber's teeny bopper hit " Baby, Baby, Baby, Oh."
Parents that PIX11 spoke to Monday morning are even more upset that they had to learn of this rash decision from the media, and not from the school itself, a school that prides itself in teaching about freedom.
According to reports, Hawkins has been cited before by the Department of Education for being racist towards other teachers back in 2010.
