An “American Pride” dance has been cancelled at Lexington High School in Massachusetts because such an event would not be “inclusive enough.” Ironically, the school is located near where one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War took place.

Massachusetts school officials opted to rename the American Pride dance at Lexington High School, “National Pride” dance instead. The mascot of the school located near where the battle of Lexington and Concord took place, is the symbol of an American Revolutionary War minuteman.

Lexington High School Superintendent Carol Pirarski is standing by the decision to cancel the American Pride dance. “Given the diverse demography of our community it was suggested by the advisers that the students come in maybe national pride theme so they could represent their individual nationalities,” Pilarski said.

Although officials at the Massachusetts school may feel that hosting an American Pride dance would not be inclusive enough to be held at Lexington High School, not all the students agree with the decision. Student Ethan Embry deemed the decision to cancel the American Pride dance and rename the event National Pride dance, “hypersensitivity to political correctness.”

Sneha Rao, also a student at Lexington High School, stated that many of the students at the Massachusetts school were shocked to think that the American Pride theme could be considered offensive to anyone on campus. Although the American Pride name for the event was nixed, school officials are still “permitting” students to wear red, white, and blue if they wish. The National Pride dance at Lexington High School is slated to occur in late April.

While the name change has attracted plenty of attention, school officials are standing firm in their decision. Lexington High’s “National Pride” dance is scheduled for late April. Students can wear red, white, and blue if they so choose.

During the 2012-2013 school year, there were 1,991 students enrolled at Lexington High School in Massachusetts. The student body was comprised of 59 percent white students, 29 percent Asian/Pacific Islander students, 5 percent African-American students, 4 of the students were Hispanic, 0.1 of the students were American Indian/Alaskan, and 3 percent of students were listed as belonging to “two or more races,” according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

What do you think about Lexington High School in Massachusetts cancelling the American Pride dance because of fears that such an event would not be inclusive enough?