Earlier this week, we reported on the choice by District 300 administration in suburban Chicago, Illinois, to cancel Hampshire High School’s spring musical The Prom. Dozens of individuals confirmed up on Tuesday evening at the district’s college board assembly to specific their dismay at the choice. It is a faculty board assembly public remark session value watching, full of individuals throughout the neighborhood defending the rights of those college students to carry out the present and volunteering to assist develop a complete security plan to make sure everybody taking part and attending could have no worries. It is the sort of outpouring of affection and assist for LGBTQ+ college students that each one communities ought to expertise. Public remark begins at minute 30:
The key motive that administration elected to cancel the present was security. The district frightened that with a number of situations of harassment, bullying, and concentrating on of LGBTQ+ college students over the previous yr, they’d be unable to guard college students with the play. However, as the general public feedback made clear, the administration additionally didn’t attain out to the assorted communities that feed into Hampshire High School to ask whether or not or not they might develop a plan collectively. Further, many mother and father who spoke requested why, if security had been a priority for thus lengthy, a security plan had not been a precedence till now.
Though the board didn’t change their determination at the assembly, the board has now reversed course and The Prom will go on at Hampshire High School this spring.
Superintendent Susan Harkin met with college students on Thursday to ship the information. She supplied an announcement on the district’s web site following the assembly–her second with college students in every week.
“The most important factor in granting approval for the musical was the development of a comprehensive safety plan. Hampshire High School, with support from District 300, law enforcement, and the village of Hampshire, has developed a plan that provides the necessary protections for “The Prom” to be carried out inside a secure and supportive atmosphere,” it reads, including “This plan extends beyond the scheduled performance dates. It spans from today, the date of the announcement, and continues after the final show to effectively address any post-performance issues. The plan offers safeguards addressing a wide range of potential issues, including, but not limited to, potential harassment, bullying, and violence targeting LGBTQ+ students, performers, staff, and community members.”
The security plan was a vital a part of the choice, and it’s one which district officers have had the chance–certainly, the need–to develop. The press launch even states there are already school-level and district-level security plans however “this production required an additional level of security due to a national rise in bullying, threats, and violence directed toward the LGBTQ+ community.” It is noteworthy that the district “cites” ABC News right here concerning the rise of violence towards the LGBTQ+ neighborhood when there have been dozens of examples inside the native space. Indeed, administration made it sound as if they themselves have a wealth of examples.
District administration’s preliminary cancelation of The Prom highlights the continued censorship of creativity that has been on a steep rise since mid-2021. Although it’s a victory for college kids, workers, and the communities of Hampshire High School that the choice has been reversed, it ought to by no means have occurred within the first place.
“This is probably one of the best civics lessons I’ve ever had,” Henry Hanson, a Hampshire High School senior instructed the Daily Herald. “The power that you have with your voice is really strong, and I got to see that first hand.”
Dates and occasions of The Prom haven’t but been introduced, however it’s doubtless that the present is not going to solely promote out, however it might even encourage extra performances than initially deliberate.
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