WATERTOWN — Watertown School Board members are refusing to speak publicly about their decision to ban a song tied to LGBTQ history from a high school performance — even when approached by TMJ4 Investigative Reporter Ben Jordan at their homes.
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Of the 8 board members who voted Tuesday to prevent the high school wind symphony from performing the song, 3 answered their doors when I visited their homes seeking comment. All three shut the door without providing substantive answers.
The board voted to ban "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.
Watch: Watertown school board members refuse to answer questions about song ban
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.
TMJ4 sent several interview requests to board members before the home visits. All either declined or did not respond.
Board member David Handyside was among the first to answer his door.
"Because we don't want to talk about it," Handyside said.
When asked why, Handyside said, "Because it is what it is. You were there, so you saw, but have nothing else to say."
School Board Treasurer Carl Schwarze, who also voted to ban the song, answered his door but immediately asked that the camera be turned off.
"I have no comment. If you want a comment from me, you get it at the school board meeting on Monday," Schwarze said.
When pressed on why the song was banned, Schwarze shut the door without answering.
Hoffman, despite being the lone vote to allow the song to be performed, also declined to elaborate on her position.
"You were at the meeting. Your reporting was not balanced, and I'm not giving you a comment. I'm sorry," Hoffman said.
When asked why she wouldn't share her perspective if she believed the reporting was unbalanced, Hoffman shut the door.
Schwarze was the only board member to direct questions to the next school board meeting, scheduled for this coming Monday — the same night the song had been scheduled to be performed.
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