A “White Trash Tea Party” listed as a ticket item up for auction by the Catharine Blaine K-8 School PTA in Magnolia was taken down because parents claimed it to be offensive.
“Here’s your chance to experience the other side of the tracks,” read the item listing under the “Sign-Up Parties” section. “Grab your trashiest girlfriends to sample the finest in Crockpot cuisine, Twinkle trifle, a variety of fun cocktails and, of course, teas.”
The tea-party item was listed the week of the “Speakeasy Soiree,” which occurred on March 9, and then suddenly taken down by the Blaine PTA. The price was listed as $40 per person, with up to 14 people able to join. It would have been held at the Seattle Hill House Bed and Breakfast in Capitol Hill.
As soon as the complaints came in, the party was cancelled, said Blaine principal Julie Cox; it was posted for one day but was removed within 24 hours once they received the complaints.
Cox said they recognize a mistake was made and that nothing like this has happened in her experience as principal.
The annual Soiree lists many pricey items in its auction to raise money for the school. Other parties included on the list were “Flip Flops & Lemon Drops” and “A Night Out at the Nook.”
Cox said it was all well-intended and that the Auction Planning Committee didn’t mean to offend anyone. Multiple parents complained when the item was first listed, and Cox said that it was eventually taken down by the parents who created the event.
Blaine PTA president Monica Scheiber said in an e-mail that the “real story is that the Seattle School District does not fund our schools adequately and that parents fill in the gap.”
Cox echoed the statement, remarking that it’s unfortunate that we live in a time where parents need to find ways to fund schools.
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