Cancellation of library class on witchcraft prompts questions

By Alberto Gilman
Posted 11/2/22

When a scheduled program on witchcraft suddenly disappeared from the Newburgh Free Library schedule, it wasn’t due to magic, but a decision by the school district administration. That prompted …

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Cancellation of library class on witchcraft prompts questions

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When a scheduled program on witchcraft suddenly disappeared from the Newburgh Free Library schedule, it wasn’t due to magic, but a decision by the school district administration. That prompted a discussion on social media and before the school board about censorship and the First Amendment.

Christopher Morgan, a librarian, confirmed in an email that on Thursday, October 13 he had scheduled Dana Cooper Moore the owner of the Ritualist Shop in New Paltz, to do a presentation for the community on “Witchcraft in the 21st Century.”

“That same day I was notified by the library director, Mary Lou Carolan, that the Newburgh Enlarged City School District was demanding the program be canceled following community objections from multiple members of the same church in the city of Newburgh, The Church at the Bridge.”

The Newburgh Free Library is one of only two public libraries in New York State that is overseen by a school district.

On the day of the program, the following statement was posted on the library’s official Facebook page to inform the public: “Due to circumstances beyond the Newburgh Free Library’s control, the Modern Witchcraft program scheduled for 6:30 p.m. this evening (October 13) has been canceled. Our apologies for the last minute notice of this cancellation.”

Neither Carolan nor Moore would provide further comment, but numerous comments were made at last week’s board of education meeting.

“There was a program scheduled called Modern Witchcraft and it was canceled and nobody can tell me why,” said Town of Newburgh resident Terri Blancato-Horton. “I would like to know who decides what is appropriate at this library."

“You cannot censor and a religious group cannot call the school and say they don’t agree with this program. Once we let a religious group get away with this one time, they are going to start interfering with all the programs. This is not a religious school district, this is a public school.”

Blancato-Horton, addressing the school board, asked who made the decision to cancel the program. She was told that the public comment portion of a school board meeting was not a question and answer period.

Vanessa Tirado also wondered who made the decision.

“I don’t think we should allow any institution, especially a religious institution, to govern us,” she said.

Ernesto Tirado, chair of the Town of Newburgh Democratic Committee, also stepped up to the podium.

“What are you going to do next,” he asked. “Ban books on the subject?”

Elka Gotfryd, a City of Newburgh resident, warned the school board that they are entering the territory of a dangerous precedent.

“If we’re talking about constitutional protections, then we’re looking at who the constitution protects,” Gotfryd said. “If we look at witchcraft as a religious and we’re Wiccans, then yes, we are preventing certain religious freedom. This is unconstitutional.”

However, she added, this was not meant to be a religious event, but was instead meant to be a “fun event.”

The program was to have been led by Dana Cooper Moore, owner of Ritualist, a New Paltz store described on its website as “part witch shop, part plant shop, all magic.” The store, which began as an online business, sells candles, body oils and assorted novelty items, including “I Brake for Ghosts” bumper stickers.

“Some of our offerings include tarot and oracle decks, herbal tinctures, altar candles, and books and zines, along with an array of houseplants,” Cooper Moore said. “We prioritize small, independent brands and makers, and carry goods made by those who share our values of sustainability and inclusivity.”

Cooper Moore said she had been contacted in July by Morgan who serves as the Newburgh Free Library’s Head of Programming. Morgan had reached out to Cooper Moore for the possibility of hosting a class to be added to the library’s fall programming schedule.

“They [the library] gave me flexibility on the subject matter within the umbrella of “modern witchcraft,” but expressed interest in the presentation being an overview/introduction to witchcraft,” said Cooper Moore. “It was clear that they were familiar with my shop and my values (which are laid out on Ritualist’s website) and trusted me to use my discretion on what specific topics to cover.”

The presentation was intended to be 45 minutes to an hour with various coverage of topics and definitions of modern witchcraft provided by Cooper Moore.

“To me, modern witchcraft is a fluid, flexible, and ever-evolving practice that respectfully references and draws from nature-based movements like Paganism, while prioritizing personal choice and flexibility over tradition (meaning that we are each free to embrace the concepts and practices that resonate with us personally, and can leave behind whatever doesn’t resonate.),” Cooper Moore said.

Cooper Moore said she was informed of the cancellation in the afternoon of the day program was to take place and the decision was abrupt. Cooper Moore said she is unsure of the circumstances of the decision leading to cancellation but was told of complaints made by the community based upon the subject matter.

An email to the Mid Hudson Times identified the objectors as members of the Church at the Bridge, located at 90 Broadway in Newburgh. Pastor Jose Vasquez of the Church at the Bridge did not respond to a request for comment.

Several school board members did offer their own thoughts.

Mark Levenstein suggested that Dr. Jackielyn Manning-Campbell, Superintendent of Schools, give a timeline on how the program developed, how it was advertised and the reason it was changed.

“Maybe there could be a conversation afterwards,” he said.

Ramona Burton also called the decision to cancel the program discerning.

“We talk about diversity, we talk about inclusion and equity. Here was an opportunity to talk about inclusion, and yet, voices excluded,” Burton said. “What’s next. How do we go from being proponents of inclusion to taking a deep dive into ‘oh heck no.’”

Cooper Moore said she has not had any communication with the school district but plans to send an email to the Board of Education in the near future.

“I’m absolutely interested in continuing the important discussion around censorship and ensuring that something like this doesn’t happen again in the future. My main concern, like those who spoke at the meeting, is the censorship of public programming,” Cooper Moore said. “ I feel that this is no longer about my particular event, but about something much larger and more important, especially at a time when we’re seeing nationwide efforts to ban books and eliminate certain topics in public schools.”

Though the program was not held at the library, Cooper Moore said she would like to host a program or class again in Newburgh if the opportunity arises.

“I’m definitely open to hosting something in Newburgh in the future,” she said, “and would love to bring a modern witchcraft event to multiple towns around the Hudson Valley.”