School officials have removed Columbus Day from the Paterson school district calendar. Instead, the district will celebrate “Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous People’s Day” on the second Monday of October. School board members unanimously approved the change last week.

“The Board recognizes that Columbus’ arrival in the Americas caused harm to the territory’s indigenous populations, making the annual celebration of this event controversial,” reads the measure replacing Columbus Day which commemorates Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Americas on October 12, 1492.