When school board members canceled Cardinal High School’s annual drama production in early February, citing “vulgarity” in the script, the decision triggered immediate public outcry.
Some residents of the small Ohio community objected to content in the student production of ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’ which includes a character who has gay fathers.
At a public meeting of Feb. 8, the Cardinal Board of Education reversed their decision to cancel the play — but not before approving an anti-transgender resolution rejecting proposed federal Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ students across the state.
From high school drama productions to elementary school library books, educational content is being called into question by conservative parents and community members in front of local school boards across Ohio.
Coupled with an alarming spike in anti-LGBTQ+ policy and legislation on a national level, students and educators are receiving mixed messages about who is and is not welcome in the classroom.
The ‘Spelling Bee’ is canceled
Cardinal High School’s production of ‘Spelling Bee’ — a music comedy with a Disney film adaption currently in the works — was already well underway when board members announced the script was “not family friendly” and “not suitable for our pre-teen and teenage students.”
Cast members told News 5 Cleveland they were devastated by the news, and considered the play’s coming of age themes both humorous and universal.
The cancellation even garnered national attention when LGBTQ+ actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson took to his Instagram account with a message of support for the cast, crew and community.
In a written statement provided to The Buckeye Flame Cardinal Local Schools Superintendent Jack Cunningham denied allegations the decision to cancel the play had to do with the inclusion of a gay characters in the cast.
“In all aspects of its operations, the district vigorously enforces its prohibition against discriminatory harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), disability, age, religion, ancestry, or genetic information,” he said. “Anyone suggesting otherwise is simply mistaken.”
Though it is unclear exactly how the decision was reached, it appears individual members may have had a hand in the decision — including conservative board member Linda Smallwood.
The Buckeye Flame obtained multiple posts made to Smallwood’s personal Facebook account between 2011 and 2019, disparaging LGBTQ+ people with religious language and actively opposing marriage equality.
Rejecting Title IX protections
At last week’s meeting, the Cardinal Board of Education changed course, reinstating the production.
Minutes after announcing that the play would move forward, board members chose to endorse an anti-LGBTQ+ resolution passed by the Ohio State Board of Education in December.
Conservative state school board member Brendan Shea introduced the resolution in response to the Biden Administration’s proposed change in federal Title IX anti-discrimination rules to protect LGBTQ+ students.
More than 300 LGBTQ+ Ohioans provided public testimony against the resolution, which contained both disturbing religious language and scientifically inaccurate information about sex chromosomes, sex characteristics and people with intersex conditions.
State board members passed the bill in spite of the errors.
When Cardinal High School board members passed the resolution nearly 5 months later, it still contained many of the same inaccuracies.
There was no opportunity for public comment.
Cardinal High School students told WKYC they are thrilled to resume their production of ‘Spelling Bee’ — albeit, with a few mandated changes to the script.
But students, parents and educators have all publicly criticized the board for its treatment of the cast and crew, who they say worked incredibly hard to make the production a success.
The production will run March 10, 11 and 12 at the Cardinal Middle School Cafetorium.
Trending anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment
Cardinal School Board joins school boards across Ohio engaged in controversy around protecting LGBTQ+ students.
In the affluent Columbus suburb of Hilliard, eight parents sued the district for supplying teachers and other staff with rainbow lanyard cards that read “I’m here,” accompanied by a list of resources to help educators navigate teaching LGBTQ+ students in their classrooms.
In Bethel, Ohio, about ten miles north of the Kentucky state line, parents filed a lawsuit on behalf of their children targeting their transgender classmates — alleging that transgender students made their cisgender children uncomfortable using the restroom at school. 🔥
IGNITE ACTION
- To purchase tickets to Cardinal High School’s production of ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,’ click here.
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