By Michael Gryboski, Editor Tuesday, November 04, 2025

A man has been charged with threatening a Catholic school in Pennsylvania that garnered controversy for creating a parade float that included Holocaust imagery.

Joseph Gilleo II, a 28-year-old resident of Bucks County, is facing charges after leaving a threatening voice message for St. Joseph’s Catholic School of Hanover.

According to authorities, Gileo threatened the school in response to its Halloween parade float that featured imagery referencing the Holocaust that many found offensive. 

Charging documents stated that Gilleo allegedly called school officials “Nazi sympathizing” and “psychopaths,” adding that he believes God “will not save you from what happens next.”

“We know what you actually think. Maybe we should turn your little school into a concentration camp. Maybe it’s time to persecute you,” stated Gilleo in court documents, as quoted by ABC 27 News.

“Your children are now in danger. You should have had a better handle on them. I don’t believe for a single second that the children did it though, I think your teachers did it. The world’s watching you ------- losers.”

As a result of the threat, the parish canceled events scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, with future gatherings expected to be canceled as a precaution.

Gilleo is facing a felony charge of terroristic threats, as well as misdemeanor charges of ethnic intimidation, disorderly conduct and harassment, reported ABC 27.

St. Joseph Catholic School has been widely criticized for its Halloween parade float that featured a replica of the Auschwitz concentration camp gate.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, which the school belongs to, was among those that denounced the float, with Bishop Timothy C. Senior saying he was “shocked and appalled” by it.

“The inclusion of this image — one that represents the horrific suffering and murder of millions of innocent people, including 6 million Jews during the Holocaust — is profoundly offensive and unacceptable,” said Senior in a statement.

“I express my sincere apology to our Jewish brothers and sisters and to all who were hurt or offended by this display. I strongly condemn the inclusion of this symbol on the float. As Catholics, we stand firmly against all forms of antisemitism, hatred, and prejudice, which are rampant in our society.”