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A Wisconsin school district has banned a first-grade class from performing a Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton duet at their spring concert.聽

Students at Heyer Elementary School in Waukesha had prepared a setlist for the concert including song titles: 鈥�What a Wonderful World鈥� by Louis Armstrong, 鈥�Rainbow Connection鈥� by Kermit the Frog from The Muppet Movie and 鈥�Here Comes the Sun鈥� by The Beatles.聽

They were also set to perform 鈥�Rainbowland,鈥� a duet by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton. However, both 鈥�Rainbowland鈥� and 鈥�Rainbow Connection鈥� were banned because they 鈥渃ould be deemed controversial鈥� according to a school board policy on classroom etiquette regarding controversial issues.聽

Students Were Excited To Perform The Song

My first graders were so excited to sing Rainbowland for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration. When will it end?

— The Rainbowland Teacher (@melissatempel)

First-grade teacher Melissa Tempel in charge of the class that was supposed to perform the song posted the school administration鈥檚 decision to , writing 鈥�’My first graders were so excited to sing Rainbowland for our spring concert but it has been vetoed by our administration. When will it end?鈥�

Within a day of students learning the song, Tempel said that the school administration asked her to remove 鈥�Rainbowland鈥� from the concert.聽

In a public released by the school, authorities explained that 鈥渢hey determined that the song could be deemed controversial in accordance with the policy鈥�.聽

Ban On Rainbow Flags

Waukesha school district Superintendent James Sebert has previously prohibited rainbows and pride flags from being displayed in classrooms. In December 2021, Summit View Elementary special education kindergarten teacher Sarah Whaley refused to take down an 17c起草社区I pride flag and was suspended for a day by the district.聽

“Our advocacy for curricular resources and support for learning are never-ending, but our personal beliefs and convictions must stay out of the classroom,” Sebert and Deputy Superintendent Joseph Koch said in their at the time.聽

Rainbowland

Tempel spoke to CNN, stating that 鈥�Rainbowland鈥� wasn鈥檛 鈥渏ust a song.鈥�

She asserted that she wanted to continue to 鈥渟upport inclusivity鈥�, adding 鈥渢he love and acceptance piece, and being who you are, I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 anything political about that.鈥�

Sarah Schindler, mother of a first-grader in Tempel’s class, told the that the school board had 鈥渁 conservative flip鈥� following the Covid-19 pandemic.聽