School Holiday Party Ruined After Parents Steal the Presents

Students left a school Christmas party in tears after some parents who had volunteered to distribute the gifts stole 200 of the presents.

Marshall Taylor, principal of Friedrick von Schiller School in the Cabrini-Green housing project, described the scene as “chaos, complete chaos” after the parents tore open packages and helped themselves earlier this week.

“There was wrapping paper all over the floor--just as if somebody had said: ‘Hey, help yourself!’ ” Taylor said.

The gifts--toys, clothes, games and other items solicited from local companies--were supposed to go to 325 fifth- through eighth-graders.

Montgomery Ward & Co. has already gathered replacements for all of the gifts bought by its employees and other businesses, said Bob Kasenter, the company’s executive vice president for human resources.

“I’ve been rushing around gathering toys,” he said Thursday. “We had about 250 to 270 individual kids that had lists of things they were looking for that needed to be replaced.”

Eight teachers and 15 youngsters accompanied Kasenter to choose the replacement items Wednesday night, but at Taylor’s request, none of the gifts will be distributed until a school assembly Jan. 4, Kasenter said.

The only items recovered were a few gifts that were apparently discarded by the parents who stole them.

About 30 parents had offered to help the principal arrange the presents.

“The parents have set a wonderful example for the kids of what not to do,” Taylor said.

The police are aware of the incident, but Police Sgt. James Hanson said the principal chose not to file a report.

“As far as we are concerned, there is nothing we can do,” Hanson said.