New York: A black principal has sparked fury among parents, students and teachers after banning a patriotic song from being sung at graduation

Kindergartners at PS 90, the Edna Cohen School in Coney Island will not be allowed to sing God Bless the USA at their moving-up ceremony because black principal Greta Hawkins has decided it is inappropriate. The lyrics, she says could "offend other cultures" and are "too grown-up" for five-year-olds. It is not the first time that Hawkins, a Jehovas Witness, has tried to stamp down on the school's patriotic rituals. A few years ago she tried to end the tradition of students reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing America the Beautiful. Staff objected and she was forced to back down but it has been noted that she does not herself recite the pledge because of her religious beliefs. She has in the past been called a tyrant and bully by staffers and was reprimanded in 2010 by the Department of Education after complaints arose that she had called the school racist. "I’m black. Your previous principal was white and Jewish. More of us are coming," she said.