Texas High School Will Still Show ‘Oklahoma!’ after sparking controversy for removing a transgender child from a major role

The show will continue next month at a Texas high school following controversy that arose when a major part of the school’s production of “Oklahoma!” It was taken from a transgender child.

Tickets are now on sale for the production, which will run Jan. 19-21, the Dallas Morning News reported. It was previously postponed by the Sherman Independent School District amid criticism of its policy regarding gender, as well as the play’s content.

Sherman High School senior Max Hightower, a transgender boy, lost a major role in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical when the administration announced last month that only men could play male roles and women could only play female roles. .

After widespread outrage, the school reversed the decision but said the production would use a “juvenile” version of the play, which premiered on Broadway in 1943, that would tone down the adult themes, profane language and sexual content.

After an emotional school board meeting in November, trustees reversed the decision and ruled that the original show could continue into the new year.

Other students had also lost their roles, including several girls who were assigned male roles. Max was going to play the role of Ali Hakim, a man.

Max Hightower, center, a transgender student at Sherman High School, was initially banned from playing a male role in the school’s production of “Oklahoma!” WFAA tickets are now on sale for the production of “Oklahoma!” from Sherman High School. after a battle over a gender policy that drew national attention. WFAA

Philip Hightower, Max’s father, told the Dallas Morning News that the decision is “a good start.”

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School board president Brad Morgan apologized to the community for the drama. “We understand that our decision does not erase the impact this had on our community, but we hope to reinforce to everyone, particularly our students, that we embrace all of our Board’s goals, to include addressing the diverse needs of our students. and empower them to succeed in a diverse and complex world.”

The controversy led to conversations about district leadership, with some families calling for Superintendent Tyson Bennett’s ouster. WFAA

However, the controversy has sparked conversations about the district’s leadership.

Some families called for the removal of Superintendent Tyson Bennett, who has received a national backlash from LGBTQ activists, and the school board voted to remove him from oversight of the fine arts program.

The district will also reportedly open a third-party investigation into the situation.

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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