Central Academy of Technology and Arts (CATA) in Union County, NC, and a part of Union County Public Schools, is a premier magnet arts program that serves students from all across Union County and gives them incredible opportunities to both train and expand their talents as well as innovative ways to show off those talents. In that effort, the administration sought hard to get the rights to perform Jesus Christ Superstar, an incredible musical that explores multiple characters and their perspectives in a story that seems very familiar to audiences.

This play has always been known to both be challenging in its topicality, but also in the vocal range and acting skills required from the cast. What an incredible opportunity for these students! In recognizing the difficulty in the musical parts, as well as most roles being traditionally male, the school also sought, in keeping with the tradition of Jesus Christ Superstar, to do a reimagined telling, allowing them gender neutral casting options. What should be an incredible opportunity for ALL students to participate in musical triumph and development has, instead, turned in to a culture war now effecting all teachers in the district.

A small band of "concerned parents" (to be noted, none of whom have children involved in the musical nor in this particular arts program) from extremist national organization Moms for Liberty reached out to board members to decry the choice to have a gender-neutral casting of this play. To them, this was "the woke left" "pushing an agenda" that would "reinforce their LGBT+ nonsense" on students and "would ruin the public's idea of the true Jesus Christ". They called for preachers to be able to preach the "True Jesus" before each showing. They wanted the school board to oversee casting, "to ensure the right people were in the right roles". They wanted "any rainbows associated with the play" to be removed (referencing a student made logo with the Philadelphia Pride Flag).

 

What has resulted has been far worse. Teachers and administration in Union County Public Schools are being told they must remain neutral in all things and "free from any content that could be discriminatory or viewed as promoting some individual, group, or agenda", which has meant, at least to the School Board:

• Staff cannot use pronouns in their email signatures, nor can they be clearly displayed in classrooms
• Similarly, staff is reminded that they cannot put or include educational credentials, titles, or similar in their signatures or other publicly facing social media or classrooms
• Any and all flags, posters, or other material supporting one group or that appears to endorse any view must be removed (which, thus far, has only included Pride Flags or Safe Space signs)
• That all displays and concepts that " could reasonably give rise to the appearance of sponsorship, approval, or endorsement" be removed from classrooms. 

There will be further instructions on the above coming out of meetings later this week and any updates will be shared.

 

This effort for "neutrality" is only a gross sign of the School Boards' own "sponsorship, endorsement, and approval" of their own specific beliefs and agendas. While we have Board Members proudly sharing information about Bible Studies on campus and events such as "Gather at the Pole," they are simultaneously bringing down beneficial educational opportunities for the students they lead over a non-existent and perceived "agenda". Board Members appear to support and endorse certain beliefs rather publicly, but now bristle at the neutrality they seem to be asking for when it is actively applied.

The result is the discrimination of students based on their gender and a hostile workplace established against teachers for their gender, creed, religion, and support of equality.

 

We are demanding the following from the UCPS Board of Education:

• To not overreach their duties for policy and funding and to leave the selection of works and casting decisions to the professionals hired and authorized to oversee these at the individual level. That includes an immediate cessation of all meddling in the CATA Production of Jesus Christ Superstar: Reimagined.

 

• To rescind any and all requirements against teachers and staff that discriminate against them on the basis of gender or education - which includes the current ban on having pronouns and educational honors clearly displayed in their signatures.

 

• To rescind any policies that discriminate against students by restricting their opportunities and educational outcomes on the basis of gender and not on the basis of ability. A tenor should be able to sing tenor parts, regardless of their sex or gender, and so forth. This should apply to all instances in which equal options and opportunities must be given according to Federal Title IX policy.

 

• The Board to make a public statement that the Pride Flag is not offensive and is a symbol of equality, inclusion, and a comfort to many students. That any discrimination against its use amounts to hate speech, bullying, and discrimination of the students that feel represented by it and will not be tolerated at UCPS. UCPS is a community that supports all students and helps them to feel safe and encouraged in their education and, most importantly, where we actively remind students that they can do and achieve whatever they put their mind to, regardless of how they identify.

 

• That the UCPS Board of Education commit to taking a Title IX education course, as a part of continuing education in their roles, to understand the policies they are enacting and the violation of rights that is occurring as such. These courses must be booked before November 1st and completed before the end of January 2023 for any sitting board member.
   

We thank everyone that has signed this petition in support of our students, our UCPS staff, our schools, and our community. We know that together, we can achieve more. We know that there should be no limits on what our youth can accomplish, especially arbitrary ones. We know that everyone in our community deserves to feel safe and supported so that we all may achieve our greatest potential.

 

Please add to your signature your reasons for signing or add to public comments in the survey below:

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