Rochester School District contradicts parent, who claims choir teacher removed Hanukkah song due to ongoing Israel and Hamas conflict

(Rochester, MN) -- The Rochester school district is denying accusations that a Hanukkah song was removed from a school holiday program because it was too controversial.  

The school district was asked for comment after a parent said the song had been removed from a Kellog Middle School choir performance. The parent claimed the choir teacher said the song would be controversial due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The school district denied that claim in a statement, saying the teacher removed songs about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa from the holiday program because they were too difficult for students to learn.  

The district also said that it does not consider a song from any faith or religion to be "inherently controversial."