High School Refuses Student Production of The Laramie Project

The production will take place at a local community stage instead.

Sunnivie Brydum

Sunnivie is the managing editor of The Advocate, and an award-winning journalist whose passion is covering the politics of equality and elevating the unheard stories of our community. Originally from Colorado, she and her spouse now live in Los Angeles, along with their three fur-children: dogs Luna and Cassie Doodle, and "Meow Button" Tilly.

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Sunnivie Brydum

July 22 2013 8:13 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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Administrators at Ottumwa High School in Ottumwa, Iowa will not allow a student-run production of The Laramie Project to be performed on school grounds, reports USA Today.

But the drama teacher behind the production said she's secured a performance space in the local arts center instead. The Laramie Project

Administrators told USA Today they were hoping to head off a controversy before it began, sinceThe Laramie Project explores reaction in the small Wyoming town to the 1998 murder of gay college student Matthew Shepard. The play was written by Moises Kaufman in 2000, and has since its creation inspired a sequel called The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later.

But students at OHS are confused by the school's decision to ban the production, especially given the 2012 suicide of a 14-year-old from Primghar who had come out to his classmates and was subsequently taunted on Facebook. Adding to the confusion, Gov. Chet Culver signed antibullying legislation into law last year.

"It doesn't make any sense," OHS junior and drama club member Jordan Young told USA Today. "This is a show that deals specifically with bullying and the outcome that it had on an entire town because of one bullying incident. If they're trying to get rid of bullying, then why would they say 'no' to this show?"