St. Andrew Principal Under Fire for Using Photo of Ellen on Invitation

The principal of St. Andrew Elementary School has come under fire for using a photograph of Ellen DeGeneres on an invitation to a graduation dance.

After an uproar, Principal Nancy Matteo apologized to parents in an email saying it was “completely wrong” to use the photo because DeGeneres, who is a lesbian, lives her life outside of the teachings of the Catholic Church, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. 

In the email to parents, she asked students to return the invitations with the picture of DeGeneres. Students will be given new invitations to the Oscar-themed school dance, the Inquirer reported.

"I need every single invitation returned and I will personally destroy them," Matteo wrote in the email, the Inquirer reported.

In the email to parents, Matteo calls the entertainer a “poor role model." She goes on to say she was “not thinking” when she sent out invitation featuring DeGeneres. 

"A role model, as defined by Webster's Dictionary, is a person who is unusually effective or inspiring in some social role, job, position, etc. This does not describe her at all. We work so hard to be good role models and then I go and do something stupid," Matteo wrote.

DeGeneres hosted the Oscars in 2014 and 2007.