Santeria principal agrees to leave

NEW YORK, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- A New York school principal has admitted using city funds to pay for a Santeria ritual at the school.

Maritza Tamayo, in a settlement with the board of education, agreed to accept a demotion to teacher for the rest of the school year, The New York Post reported. She would then resign next summer.

The Conflicts of Interest Board said Tamayo spent $900 for a ceremony last year at the Unity Center for Urban Technologies in Manhattan. No students were present at the ceremony, which was supposed to remove negative energy from the building.

Santeria, a mixture of African and Christian religious traditions, evolved in Cuba. Its practices include the ritual sacrifice of animals, usually chickens.