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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2008)
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Just 35 miles from Portland. 866-459-1678 | www.bonnevilleresort.com S Jennie Brown received e-mails of sup port from parents, students and teachers across the country when her play, Higher Ground, was banned. available at upgrade rates Reg'Stered guest must be 21 or older to receive alcohol. J WE HELP PROPERTY OWNERS But many of those e-mails didn’t reach Brown. Without explanation or warning, the administra tion changed her e-mail address, opened an in vestigation on the teacher and canceled the play. Brown continues to teach at Sherwood but has not yet been told what she is being investigated for. ...LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS “As far as I know, it’s because I wrote a play,” said Brown. ....... .. The show—an exploration of the scalding $30 adolescent social scene—was deemed too mature MANI/PEPI COMBO for the school, where Brown has taught for two REC. $» years and has been a district employee for eight. COMPLETE NAILS She has sought legal representation through the Oregon Educational Association during the in vestigation. Brown says she’s never clashed with the district before, but Higher Ground’s gay content caught the eye of some parents, who sent three letters to Sherwood Middle School students performed the uncensored version of their banned play, A Higher Ground, at Portland Center for the Performing Arts. her and principal Anna Pittioni objecting to the play’s portrayal of the “homosexual lifestyle.” district board meeting March 5. Pittioni did not return Just Chit’s calls seeking “This is a serious issue, not only for the school comment, but she told The Oregonian that the and the kids but for this community,” said Mar play was banned because its “content exceeds the tini. “Not every Sherwood resident is white, Re maturity of many of our students.” publican, Christian and straight, and those people Irate, confused and frustrated, Sarah Grant, who aren’t deserve the same acceptance and re a parent volunteer whose son, Freddie, was set to perform the role of a bully who finds his con spect as anyone else.” Joyce Clow, a Portland PFLAG board mem science and voice through the course of the two- ber who spoke at the meeting, offered resources hour prodoction, confronted Pittioni. for teachers and counselors on how to create “I asked her if the primary reason for consider and maintain an environment safe for all fami lies, teachers and queer or questioning youth. ing the content too mature was the homosexual theme, and she said she had several concerns but She said she is in contact with the Gay, Lesbian if that theme remained in the play, she’s afraid it and Straight Education Network and would like appeared that Sherwood Middle School endorsed to help Sherwood Middle School start a Gay that lifestyle,” said Grant. “I was horrified. It wor Straight Alliance. Martini has volunteered to be ries me that by trying to prevent this play from the group’s parent representative. Banned at Sherwood, Higher Ground was res offending people, she was defending bigotry.” ceived sexual orientation makes him the target cued by Portland Center for the Performing Arts assistant executive director Lori Kramer. The of bullying by his immature classmates. The plot show enjoyed two sold-out performances March 9 touches upon bullying toward all sorts of devia and 22 at Brunish Hall downtown. tions from the norm—a Latina student, a group of “We felt it was worthy of getting an audience, and the kids really needed to be able to perform it after all that hard work,” said Kramer, whose Higher Ground is the story of a boy whose per Goths who refuse to conform to the Abercrombie set, a round-cheeked girl who is called “cow” and several other stereotypes familiar to all survivors of middle school. The play contains no vulgar lan guage, no sexual situations and no gay characters. “The message was that kids have power in numbers and don’t have to be afraid to stand up for each other and that words they use can be in 503.922.0600 grandson is a middle schooler. “I believe it was very age-appropriate. It was a tame version of what kids deal with every day in middle school.” Brown agreed. “I think people need to pay closer attention to what kids are doing and give them credit for being savvy.” Despite the overwhelming response to the per credibly hurtfill,” said Brown. Kathryn Martini, a lesbian parent of three stu dents in the Sherwood School District, contacted formance of Higher Ground, Brown said the play would no longer be performed by the Sherwood Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Middle School cast. 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