Oct 14, 2009 11:51 pm US/Eastern
School Officials Discuss Controversial Obama Video
BURLINGTON Twp., N.J. (CBS 3) ―
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A protester holds a sign during a rally on Oct. 12, 2009 against a New Jersey school where students sang a song in praise of President Barack Obama
CBS
Following Monday's protests outside the Burlington Township B. Bernice Young Elementary School, Superintendent Christopher Manno and other school officials held a board meeting Wednesday evening to discuss a controversial video of students singing praises to President Barack Obama.
Described as a 'work session,' parents were given the opportunity to have their questions answered and vent their concerns over the political connections their children made at school.
"Stick to the basics," said Gina Pronchick, a parent. "Teach reading, writing and arithmetic. Please don't push politics on my 7-year-old."
The school, located in a suburb 15 miles northeast of Philadelphia, was thrust in the national spotlight last month when the video of second-graders singing a medley of songs dedicated to the President surfaced on the internet.
"Statements that this skit was an attempt to indoctrinate students are off base and false," said Manno.
On Monday, about 70 protesters stood on a sidewalk across the street from the school waving flags and homemade placards, singing "God Bless America" and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and chanting slogans such as "No indoctrination" and "Free children, free minds."
"There was no intention to make any political statement or promote a political agenda at all," the superintendent said in a statement released following an internal investigation.
The song was performed in February during an assembly that celebrated a number of occasions, from Black History Month to Dental Health Month. According to board officials, the song was intended to be a tribute to a visiting author who had written a children's book titled 'I am Barack Obama."
The lyrics of the song were sent home to parents in advance.
The teacher of the class has since retired and no action was taken against the school's principal.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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