WATERTOWN — The Watertown School Board is defending its decision to remove a song from a high school concert, citing the district's controversial issues policy and calling the song that was banned a "celebration of violence."
The board voted to ban "A Mother of a Revolution," a piece inspired by a transgender woman during the 1960s LGBTQ movement. The song, performed by the Watertown High School Wind Symphony, has no lyrics.
In a statement, Watertown Unified School District Board President Laurie Hoffman said the full board examined the situation to determine whether any violation of policy had occurred.
The statement said, in part, "The district’s controversial issues policy is clear: use of controversial issues is permitted, but only if it does not “tend to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view.” According to the composer, the piece, “A Mother of a Revolution” was commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a six-day riot which included the beating of police officers and attempting to burn down a building with human beings trapped inside. Based on the teachers’ description, the lesson was intended to persuade students toward emotional alignment with the events of the Stonewall riot."
The statement was sent to TMJ4 on Sunday night, ahead of a school board meeting on Monday, and after TMJ4 News went to the homes of several Watertown School Board members on Friday. Those members refused, at the time, to speak publicly about their decision to ban the song, which has ties to LGBTQ history.
Of the 8 board members who voted Tuesday to prevent the high school wind symphony from performing the song, 3 answered their doors when TMJ4 Lighthouse Reporter Ben Jordan visited their homes seeking comment. All three shut the door without providing substantive answers.
Board President Laurie Hoffman was the only member who voted to allow the wind symphony to perform the song, which students had practiced for months. Hoffman also proposed allowing the performance to proceed with a disclaimer, but the measure failed on a 4-4 vote.
A school board meeting is scheduled for Monday, the same night the song was scheduled to be performed before it was banned.
Here is the full statement released by the Watertown School Board:
"It is the responsibility of a public school to provide a strong, values-neutral education to all students. As the encouragement of social violence continues to rise across the country, the Watertown Unified School District Board of Education stands firm on the principle that it is not the place of a public school to endorse or celebrate acts of violence.
When concerned parents brought the upcoming performance of “A Mother of a Revolution” to public attention, the full board examined the situation to determine whether any violation of policy had occurred.
The district’s controversial issues policy is clear: use of controversial issues is permitted, but only if it does not “tend to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view.” According to the composer, the piece, “A Mother of a Revolution” was commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, a six-day riot which included the beating of police officers and attempting to burn down a building with human beings trapped inside.
Based on the teachers’ description, the lesson was intended to persuade students toward emotional alignment with the events of the stonewall riot.
Considering these factors, the board decided to remove the song from the concert due to its celebration of violence.
The Watertown School Board remains committed to providing academic education free from indoctrination."
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