A Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton collaboration was deemed too controversial to be performed by students at a Wisconsin elementary school — a move that was blasted by some in the school community.
Originally, first-grade students were set to perform “Rainbowland,” which is a duet between the pop star and country legend that praises acceptance, before administrators for the Waukesha school district vetoed the selection ahead of the spring concert, according to reports.
“I was very confused,” parent Sarah Schindler, whose daughter goes to the Heyer Elementary School, told CBS 58, adding that her daughter informed her the song was no longer in play.
Superintendent Jim Sebert said the school received two inquiries about the 2017 song from parents.
Subsequently, Heyer principal Mark Schneider and another school administrator decided against allowing it at the concert, according to the television station.
“It was determined that Rainbowland could be perceived as controversial,” Sebert reportedly said in a statement, referencing the school board decision. “The main question was is the song appropriate for the age level and maturity of the students.”
Among the parents and teachers irked by the decision was Melissa Tempel, a first-grade teacher at the school, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“My first graders were so excited to sing Rainbowland for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration,” she said in a tweet last week. “When will it end?”
Some of the song lyrics from Cyrus and Parton include “Wouldn’t it be nice to live in paradise / Where we’re free to be exactly who we are” and “Brush the judgment and fear aside / Make wrong things right / And end the fight / ‘Cause I promise ain’t nobody gonna win.”
Schindler told the LA Times the school board had a “conservative flip” in recent years that led to policy changes and caused controversy in the school community.
“I know, Miley Cyrus kind of has a past, in the spotlight with, you know, talking about drug use, and sexuality, and all of that,” she told the newspaper. “And Dolly Parton supports drag queens, and you know, that’s another thing going about in our country these days.”
“It feels like, because of these extreme policies that have been put into place by our school board in the past year or two, that administration, principals and teachers are now starting to second-guess all of their choices,” Schindler added.
Another song, Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection” was reportedly also on the chopping block, but was reinstated after parents complained, Tempel said in another tweet.
Sebert confirmed to multiple outlets that “Rainbow Connection” would be part of the concert.
