The pop star attended the elementary school for several months when he was an 11-year-old.
The late pop star’s name is placed above the entryway of the auditorium at Gardner Elementry School in large letters made of silver. Michael Jackson walked the halls of the campus that sits on a quiet street below the Hollywood Hills for less than a year after his family moved in 1969 from Gary, Ind to Los Angeles to start the Jackson 5. The institution which is frequently sought out by tourists has had a lot on its plate this week – parents, teachers, and school board members are trying to decide if they should remove Jackson’s tie with the campus completely.
After the documentary Leaving Neverland aired on HBO in March, people around the world are trying to come to terms with Michael Jackson’s accusations. A parent at the school, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Los Angeles Times that he was having a hard time making a decision and trying to digest the news stating that “the documentary was a dark thing. And I believe the two men. But his music still lives. My gosh, people love his music. It’s a huge joy for them.”
A teacher who declined to give her name, because she wasn’t authorized to speak, mentioned that she didn’t want a name on the school “that is associated with allegations of pedophilia.”
Given the caliber of Jackson’s career and popularity nationwide, it explains the trouble that Gardner Elementary is facing in terms of adjusting modern day’s findings to the school’s well-remembered past. Many argue that there are hundreds of buildings in America are named after people who have “done worse” while others believe that the singer “should be held to the same standard of values that is wished to impart upon the students.”
Interestingly, a kindergartner-parent named Heather Fox supported removing the name from the auditorium but said it was important for people to separate the art from the artist.