Ames High School has removed a “winter tree” from the school's cafeteria after complaints were made.
The tree was donated by local businesses and district spokesperson Valerie Terando told WHO, "The school had put up a winter tree, as a decoration for the winter dance.” The tree was decorated in ISU Cardinal and Gold colors. Terando says, from the beginning, the tree was called a "winter tree" not a "christmas tree" or a "holiday tree."
"The school received a couple of complaints," she said "so the tree was taken down." Terando said the complaints came from adults, not students, who called the tree "offensive." She says the school removed the tree after the complaint because further debate on the subject would take away from the Ames school district’s main goal of educating students.