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Parents and students protest cancellation of Prince George High School production; board pledges review
Summary
Multiple public commenters and students urged the Prince George County School Board to reinstate Little Shop of Horrors, saying administrators canceled a student production without clear policy justification; the board responded that administration made the decision and pledged to review policy language and improve transparency.
Multiple parents, students and community members told the Prince George County School Board on Aug. 11 that administrators wrongly canceled the high school production Little Shop of Horrors and called on the board to intervene.
Jessica Bastian said the cancellation “appears to be an overreach of authority that undermines both student expression and the integrity of our school's commitment to inclusive education,” and that the play did not violate written policy. Student speakers, including Jada Mays, said the production had been rehearsed all summer and that similar language in previous shows had not been grounds for removal.
Board members said the decision to review and ultimately pull the production was made by school administrators, not the board. Chair and other members reiterated they expect administrators to follow transparent, consistent criteria and said they will press for clearer guidance on how productions are evaluated. One board member told speakers the district would review policy and consider including a student representative in future policy discussions.
Administrators told the board that when staff read the script they identified two concerns related to portrayals of drug abuse and domestic violence; those concerns prompted the administrative review and an offer to present an alternative approved musical for fall. The board encouraged community members with outstanding questions to raise them first with school administration and, if not satisfied, to follow up with the school board office.
The board did not reverse the administration’s decision during the meeting. Members asked staff to evaluate whether policy language needs clarification and to return with a clear description of the criteria used to evaluate school-sponsored productions.
The board moved on to other agenda items and said it would continue work on transparency and policy consistency in the coming weeks.
