Keller school district draws nationwide criticism after canceling ‘Laramie Project’ play

The Keller school district’s decision to cancel “The Laramie Project,” a play that looks at reactions to the 1998 murder of a gay college student has led to nationwide criticism.

On Feb. 23, parents from Timber Creek High School received an email from the district stating that officials decided to cancel ”The Laramie Project,” which looks at the reactions of people in Laramie, Wyoming, following the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming.

A petition on change.org calling on the school district to reinstate the performance has garnered over 3,000 signatures.

The petition says in part: “This play is a poignant depiction of queer history and highlights the lack of hate crime laws. By banning this play, we are not only suppressing an important piece of history but also denying our students a chance to understand and empathize with the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community.”

The school district said in an emailed statement to the Star-Telegram: “The decision to move forward with another production at Timber Creek High School was based on the desire to provide a performance similar to the ones that have created much excitement from the community, like this year’s Keller ISD musical productions of Mary Poppins and White Christmas. The decision was a collaborative one made by many stakeholders. Students will still be studying, discussing, and analyzing The Laramie Project script at school.”

The district said there would be no further comment other than the statement.

But the decision did not set well with the author of the play, Moisés Kaufman,who is also the founding artistic director for the Tectonic Theater in New York City.

Kaufman accused Keller officials of being “homophobic” in their decision to cancel the performance.

“When the administration of the Timber Creek High School cancels a production of The Laramie Project, it’s telling the LGBTQ students that their stories are unwelcome, that they should refrain from speaking their truth and that that community is not willing to listen,” Kaufman said in the statement.

Members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to Laramie to interview people in the community about their reactions to Shepard’s murder, which was classified as a hate crime.

The play is based on the interviews.

Several students told WFAA that they began rehearsing the play in January, and that they are disappointed that they cannot perform the play.

Timber Creek sophomore Taylor Silvestri was selected to play Reggie Fluty, the police officer who first saw Shepard’s battered body bound to a fence.

“I love theater and I love storytelling,” Silvestri told WFAA.

The decision to cancel “The Laramie Project” comes on the heels of an evangelical film crew’s visit to Central High School where two school board members were present.

Parents were upset that the crew interviewed students without their knowledge or consent.

School officials also stated that they were not aware of the film crew’s visit.

Sandi Walker, who invited the film crew from the Netherlands, announced on her Facebook page that she has resigned from the school board. The Star-Telegram requested a copy of her resignation letter to the Keller school district, but has not received the document.