To: The DeKalb Eastern School Board, Superintendent Ryan Abbott, and Eastside High Principal Orie Foster

We, the undersigned students, parents, alumni, and concerned community members, demand that the Eastside High School administration immediately reverse its decision to censor and "revise" the approved after-school student play, "The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon."

We have zero tolerance for censorship in our schools. This unilateral action by Principal Foster and Superintendent Abbott undermines the principles of intellectual freedom, disrespects our students, and potentially exposes the district to legal liability.

The Facts: Censorship and Disregard for Law

The Play Was Approved: The original, authorized version of "The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon" was officially approved, and district funds were spent to secure the necessary performance rights and scripts.

Deception to the Public: The school's website is still advertising and selling tickets for the original play, with no notice to the community that they will be watching a shortened and sanitized version. This is misleading the public and ticket buyers.

Potential Copyright Violation: The administration has failed to provide any evidence that they secured the necessary permissions from the author to make these edits. Making changes without authorization is a violation of federal and international copyright law and opens the district up to a costly lawsuit.

Coercion and Ultimatum: Students were given an unacceptable ultimatum: perform the administration's "revised" version or have no play at all. This is a punitive and disheartening way to treat students who have dedicated their time and passion to this production.

The Edits Are Absurd: The administration cited the original content as "inappropriate" but proceeded to censor minor, everyday words like "freaky," "freaking," and "breast." In one instance, a line was replaced with the sound effects from the movie Jaws—a move that even further complicates copyright concerns.

Lack of Transparency: This decision was made without any prior notification, public input, or a hearing by the School Board. The issue was not even mentioned at the September 16th School Board meeting, demonstrating a complete lack of transparency from the administration.

Our Demand: Zero Tolerance for Censorship
 

We urge the DeKalb Eastern School Board to immediately:

Stop the Censorship: Allow the students to perform the original, authorized version of "The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon," for which performance rights were already purchased.

Ensure Transparency: Commit to a policy of open discussion and public input before making any future decisions that impact curriculum, intellectual freedom, or student activities.

Respect the Arts: Acknowledge that the performing arts are vital to education, teach critical thinking, and are not venues for administrative overreach.

Signing and sharing this petition sends a clear message: Our community will not stand for arbitrary censorship. Protect our students, respect the arts, and uphold the law!