Mayor Calls On Homeowners To Remove ‘Harmful’ Elements From Halloween Display In Hamden

HAMDEN, CT — Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett is calling on the owners of a home on Whitney Avenue to remove elements from their Halloween display that she said has caused “significant distress” within the community.

The display in the 1800 block of Whitney Avenue includes the use of dummies hanging from the gallows, the inclusion of barbed wire, and the depictions of an “insane asylum,” according to Garrett.

Garrett said she shares the “serious concerns” that have been voiced by many residents, the NAACP, and members of the Legislative Council, regarding the Halloween display.

“These symbols tragically recall Jim Crow era lynchings, concentration camps, and harmful stigmas surrounding mental illness,” Garrett wrote in a post on Facebook addressing the issue. “As a town that declared racism a public health crisis in 2020, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.”

Garrett said she has personally visited the residents to express her concerns face-to-face, and also sent a letter.

The residents’ haunted house Halloween displays have become well-known in town the past several years, and have been used for fundraising. Last year’s “Arachnophobia” display raised nearly $830 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut on Halloween night, according to WTNH News 8.

In her letter to the residents, Garrett wrote “While I deeply respect the enthusiasm for seasonal traditions and your fundamental right to creative expression on private property, I feel it is necessary to bring to your attention the significant distress, and emotional harm several elements of your display are causing to many residents in our community.”

Garrett wrote that the imagery of the gallows and hanging dummies “tragically evokes the history of Jim Crow era lynchings and racial violence, causing trauma and offense to community members, particularly those in the Black community.”

She said the barbed wire “conjures images of concentration camps and genocide. This is not abstract symbolism—it is a visual trigger for survivors, descendants, and anyone who carries the weight of these atrocities in their family history.”

“The outdated and harmful depiction of an ‘insane asylum’ relies on stigma that deeply hurts those who struggle with mental illness and actively works against modern efforts to promote compassion and understanding for mental health challenges,” Garrett wrote.

Garrett noted that the town’s declaration of racism as public health crisis in 2020 “underscores our community's commitment to addressing harm caused by racial trauma and division.”

“We recognize that you have the right to erect this display on your private property,” Garrett wrote. “However, at a time when our nation feels so divided, these specific depictions unintentionally create further division and inflict emotional harm on neighbors who must view them daily. The goal of a unified community must always take precedence.

“A fun, festive Halloween tradition does not need to come at the expense of our neighbors' well-being. I sincerely ask that you consider the deep meaning these symbols hold for people and kindly remove the harmful, historically charged elements from your decorations. We would greatly appreciate your swift action to support a welcoming and inclusive environment for all our residents.”