Play cancellation, film crew’s visit spark outrage from Keller ISD parents, students

Parents, students and teachers who crowded in to the Keller school board meeting Thursday demanded transparency and explanations over recent decisions to cancel a play about the 1998 murder of a gay college student and why a Christian film crew was allowed inside Central high School without permission.

Board members took no action and did not make any statements following the public comment segment of the meeting, which lasted almost three hours.

Sarah Zamora, a Falcon theater booster at Timber Creek High School whose child was supposed to perform in “The Laramie Project” said it was disingenuous to cancel the play.

“This piece is all about community, and it has been planned for 11 months,” she said. “This project is all about history it’s not sensationalized.”

Last week, parents and students at Timber Creek High School were notified that “The Laramie Project” was canceled in favor of productions like Mary Poppins that generated excitement in the community, although the students began rehearsing in January.

But Zamora and others in the audience demanded that district officials reverse their decision.

The school district issued a statement earlier this week which said the district consulted with stakeholders.

But Zamora said: “We are the real stakeholders. Why are you taking away students’ opportunities?”

The Laramie Project explores the reactions of people in Laramie, Wyoming, following murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student at the University of Wyoming. The murder was classified as a hate crime.

Another parent, Greg Silvestre, said he was proud of the students for speaking up and telling board members they want an explanation.

“The superintendent and board now have the same opportunity to show leadership skills,” he said.

Taylor Silvestre, a sophomore at Timber Creek who was supposed to perform in play, questioned why superintendent Tracy Johnson canceled the play without reading the script. ”There was no appropriate reason … Hate is not a Timber Creek value,” Silvestre said.

Adam Schultz, a parent of a former Keller school district student, was one of several speakers who criticized the board for creating a permissive environment for discrimination of LGBTQ students.

“I’m here to tell you, Keller ISD almost killed my child,” he said, describing how his daughter, who is gay, was cornered by male students who sexually harassed her. “She was told they could turn her straight.”

Schultz said he emailed the board for support, but did not get a response.

“You have spent years shelling out political rhetoric that has divided this community and hurt the teachers here,” he said, addressing board members. “It’s time for you to step up and lead and do your jobs that you’re are elected to do, to represent every child in this district.”

Schultz ultimately transferred his daughter to another school district, and urged other parents of children with similar experiences to do the same.

Speakers also questioned why an evangelical film crew from the Netherlands was allowed inside Central High School accompanied by two board members who did not get permission from district officials, who were never informed about the visit. Many said safety and security were at stake.

Ben Nelson, a parent in the Keller school district, questioned why the film crew was allowed inside the school where there were students present.

Elizabeth Mitias, who teaches engineering at Central High School, presented her resignation letter while she talked about how she could look from her classroom and see the cafeteria. Normally worried about an exterior door down the hall from her classroom, she never thought the cafeteria doors would be a concern until she saw the film crew.

“In our cafeteria, the consequences of having a board of trustees so blinded by their own political and religious agenda that they believe that the rules don’t apply to them became glaringly obvious on Feb. 9,” she said. “Our children are not pawns to be used for their own agenda.”

Referring to the baord members, Mitias said, “Highly qualified teachers willl look elsewhere. It’s not the students, it’s you.”

On Feb. 9, the film crew from a Dutch company whose name translates to Evangelical Broadcaster accompanied board members Sandi Walker and Micah Young to Central High School. The crew interviewed the two board members but also talked to students, which angered parents.

Walker resigned, but Young is still on the board.

Young addressed the matter before the public comments, claiming that he had never met or communicated with the film crew before meeting them at the school for an interview.

“During the time I was with the film crew, I did not observe any students being interviewed, and I do regret if any students were captured on film,” he said, adding that the district has stated that it has the assurance of the film crew that no students will appear in any footage.

“I look forward to working with this body and the district to ensure that this doesn’t happen again,” Young said.

Although board members were criticized, several in the audience thanked them for doing a good job and said they needed to stand up to the “radical left.”

“It’s a tough night tonight,” said Doug Hines. “I see that you are doing a good job. Keep it up,” he said.

Along with questioning board members about the film crew and “The Laramie Project” cancellation, many in the audience asked about the budget shortfall and how it will affect libraries and programs such as fine arts.

Others also questioned the lack of communication between the Keller schools and the city of Fort Worth over an extended stay Studio 6 hotel under construction next to Basswood Elementary