Pennsylvania homeowner refuses to remove controversial Halloween decorations

A homeowner in Bristol Borough, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, is facing backlash for Halloween decorations that depict human-shaped bodies hanging from trees. The display, which includes figures wrapped in black bags and tape, has drawn condemnation from the local NAACP and several residents who argue the imagery evokes the painful history of racial lynchings in the United States.

The Bucks County NAACP stated that while the display may be legally permissible, the imagery carries profound historical significance for Black Americans and that “intent does not erase impact.”

The homeowner, Mike Wade, has refused to remove the decorations, maintaining that they were purchased as a pre-made kit online and were intended solely for seasonal spookiness. He stated, “My house is scary. My house is always scary. It’s always set up scary. Same thing. Dead bodies laying around, skeletons. It’s Halloween.”

Local officials from the Bristol Borough Council confirmed they contacted the resident to request the removal of the display but were unsuccessful. Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe noted that there are no local ordinances prohibiting such decorations, leaving the homeowner with no legal obligation to take them down.