Michael Jackson's Name Will Stay On Elementary School Auditorium After Parents Vote

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Michael Jackson announces plans for Summer residency at the O2 Arena at a press conference held at the O2 Arena on March 5, 2009 in London, England.
Gardener Street Elementary School will keep Michael Jackson's name on its auditorium.

While the Michael Jackson estate continues to combat the allegations made in HBO's Leaving Neverland, the accusations of sexual abuse towards minors is still a major topic of discussion. His kids have reportedly launched a secret investigation into the accusers while his nephew is seeking nearly $800K to produce his own documentary about Jackson. Of course, these allegations of molesting children are no joke and having his name attached to an elementary school filled with children is probably not recommended. However, after a vote amongst parents, a Hollywood elementary school has decided to keep the late singer's name on their auditorium.

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The parents of roughly 400 students at Gardener Street Elementary School were asked to vote on whether or not Jackson's name to remain on the auditorium, in wake of the allegations made by Wade Robson and James Safechuck. His name was added as an honorary dedication to the singer since he was briefly enrolled at the school as a sixth grader.

A statement was issued by the LAUSD which read, “A majority of those who participated voted to maintain the current name as the Michael Jackson Auditorium. School leaders, teachers and support staff will focus on preventing any further disruptions to the school and further impact to classroom instruction, student learning, and safety.”

The vote was announced shortly after the documentary aired with LAUSD explaining they would take the community's thoughts on the matter before taking action. “The recent allegations against Michael Jackson detailed in Leaving Neverland are very concerning,” a spokesman said. “Our top priority continues to be ensuring the safety and well-being of our school communities.”


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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