Oklahoma
Sherman ISD changes course after stripping transgender student of role in ‘Oklahoma!’
After initially removing a transgender boy and several other students from their roles in a high school production of Oklahoma!, the Sherman school district is changing course.
In a Friday afternoon statement, district officials said they will be utilizing a new version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic – with a script tailored to young audiences.
“By utilizing a new version that’s age appropriate, sex will not be considered when casting the new production,” the statement reads. “Students will be able to play any part, regardless of whether the sex of the character aligns with the sex of the student assigned at birth.”
Last week, 17-year-old Max Hightower found out he was losing a major role in the musical at the school. Max is transgender and the character he was cast to play – Ali Hakim – is a man. Girls in Max’s theater program also were told they would no longer play the male roles that they’d been assigned.
Phillip Hightower, Max’s father, said he got a call from Sherman High principal Scott Johnston, in which the principal said that the school enacted a new policy that “only male actors can play male roles, and only female actors can play female roles.”
The district responded to the outrage among Sherman High families with a Nov. 6 statement saying there is no policy on how students are assigned roles, but for that particular production, “the sex of the role as identified in the script will be used when casting.” They added the initial production of Oklahoma! contained “mature adult themes, profane language, and sexual content.”
The Dallas Morning News reviewed the script originally licensed to Sherman High for its production of Oklahoma! It included some innuendo and a few scenes in which characters kiss.
The “youth edition” of Oklahoma! is a one-hour adaptation of the musical, according to Concord Theatricals’ website.
“In this adaptation for pre-high school students, the content has been edited to better suit younger attention spans,” the company’s website reads. According to an online catalog of characters in the youth edition, there is no named role for Ali Hakim (a role called The Peddler is listed).
“Our goal is to have a musical that showcases each student’s talents while also being age appropriate, with no concerns over content, stage production/props, and casting,” the district’s Friday statement announcing the change in production read.
The district also said it will have a “tighter review and approval process” for theater productions moving forward. The school’s performance will be scheduled for after Jan. 15.
Amy Hightower, Max’s mom, said she is left with many questions. She and other theater parents plan to attend a Monday school board meeting.
“We’re pretty insulted with their response,” she said. “I’m going to be open-minded and go to the board meeting and ask questions for clarity.”
Students said the administration’s earlier decisions regarding casting threatened the inclusive space they’ve found within the theater community.
The decision impacting Sherman High School theater students comes amid a nationwide backlash against LGBTQ rights. Texas lawmakers in recent legislative sessions have debated policies that target transgender students, from which bathrooms they can use to which sports teams they can play on. The state recently banned gender-affirming care, including medication and surgery, for minors.
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.
Oklahoma
Sen. Lankford Pushes Bill To Increase Transparency On Foreign Farmland Purchases In Oklahoma
Lawmakers met with farmers to discuss the future of agriculture here in the state.
U.S. Senator James Lankford (R- Okla.) says it’s time to crack down on the foreign land purchases happening in Oklahoma threatening national security.
The discussion inside a closed-door roundtable revolved around the need to pass a bill sponsored by Lankford that would allow oversight and transparency on foreign purchases of U.S. farmland.
“They’re not American citizens who are purchasing the land here, affecting water, electricity, and safety. It’s a lot of people illegally present,” said Lankford.
Lankford says that Oklahoma farming land has been turned into Marijuana grow farms since the passage of the marijuana laws in 2018.
Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says Canadians own the most acres in Oklahoma, but Lankford’s big concern is Chinese nationals. “No one is complaining about the land owned by Canadian people because they follow the rules. But if you are talking about Chinese nationals, they are not following the rules,” said Lankford.
The SOIL Act was introduced last year. Now, he’s hoping to make more progress with it with the help of a ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
The goal is to get it inside the next Farm Bill. “Congressman Frank Lucas (R- Okla.) is also working on the House side, and I am working on the Senate side, trying to deal with what we see in Oklahoma as a major issue.”
Groundwork on the Senate’s farm bill is expected to start next week.
Inside that farm bill, they also want to see safety nets for farmers, trade tools conservation, and research.
Oklahoma
Nearly $2M in school choice tax credits were spent on parents’ debt instead
OKLAHOMA CITY — Almost $2 million from a tax credit program intended to help families afford private school instead went to parents’ debts and delinquent taxes.
The Oklahoma Tax Commission has deducted 1,249 parental choice tax credit payments from applicants who had unpaid taxes or a debt claim filed against them, the agency reported in response to an open records request from Oklahoma Voice.
Payments were reduced by a total of $1,926,240. The program’s total budget this year is $150 million.
Gov. Kevin Stitt has signed into law a bill meant to prevent future deductions. House Bill 3388 clarifies the credits are non-taxable income and can’t be reduced for outstanding debts.
The legislation that created the tax credit program last year included no such prohibition, prompting lawmakers to clarify the law this session.
“The Tax Commission was following the law as written at the time of implementation,” Stitt said in a statement. “I’m always grateful when agencies operate with due diligence. Moving forward, lawmakers have changed that statute and I have signed that into law.”
More: Oklahoma’s parental choice tax credit update: ‘Non-priority’ applications now being reviewed
Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said the clarification was necessary so a parent’s debt wouldn’t hamper a student’s opportunity to attend private school.
“We don’t tell a child they can’t go to public school because their parent’s behind on taxes, and we’re not going to tell a child in need that they can’t go to a private school that meets their needs based on their parent’s lack of compliance,” Treat said while speaking with reporters last week.
Legislative Democrats questioned whether the measure is another hand-out to families already enrolled in exclusive schools.
“For anybody else, if they had a tax liability, they would be required to pay it, and these folks are not,” Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City, said. “So, we’re giving them taxpayer dollars, and we’re saying you don’t have to pay what you owe the people of Oklahoma.”
What to know about the private school tax credit
The refundable tax credits offer $5,000 to $7,500, depending on total household income, to offset costs of sending children to private schools. Although a credit reduces a family’s state tax obligation, the commission issues a check to recipients to reimburse approved educational expenses, like tuition, tutoring or testing fees.
The initiative launched in December to significant demand. About 36,000 people have applied, most of whom did so in the first 90 minutes of the application window.
There is no income limit to apply, but children from households earning $150,000 or below had priority consideration.
The Tax Commission is still reviewing applications and disbursing funds. About 16,800 priority applicants and 4,300 without priority have been approved, accounting for $125 million of the $150 million budget, the agency reported this week.
Oklahoma will allocate $200 million for the program in 2025 and $250 million in 2026.
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions:info@oklahomavoice.com. Follow Oklahoma Voice onFacebook andTwitter.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma softball regional schedule: Times, TV channels, live streams for 2024 NCAA games | Sporting News
The three-time defending softball national champions are once again hosting a regional in Norman. This year, Oregon, Boston University and Cleveland State will join the No. 2 Sooners in Oklahoma in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
BU and Oregon open up the regional on Friday and Oklahoma takes on the Vikings immediately after. Though the Sooners are the obvious favorites to make it out of the regional into the supers, it’s on them to make a statement in the first round.
The Sooners beat out the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns in the Big 12 Championship game after losing their final regular-season series to Oklahoma State. Oregon finished third in the Pac-12 standings and Cleveland State earned an auto-bid after winning the Horizon League Tournament.
BU went a perfect 18-0 in Patriot League play and led the nation in ERA (1.28) during the regular season. Though the Ducks might seem to be Oklahoma’s biggest threat, the Terriers could surprise this weekend in Norman.
Here’s the schedule for Oklahoma’s 2024 softball regional, including how to watch each game.
Oklahoma softball regional schedule
Friday, May 17
Game | Time (ET) | TV Channel/Livestream |
Game 1: Oregon vs. Boston University | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN+ |
Game 2: No. 2 Oklahoma vs. Cleveland State | 8 p.m. | ESPNU, Fubo |
Saturday, May 18
Game | Time (ET) | TV Channel/Livestream |
Game 3: Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner | 3 p.m. | TBD |
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 | 5:30 p.m. | TBD |
Game 5: Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 | 8 p.m. | TBD |
Sunday, May 19
Game | Time (ET) | TV Channel/Livestream |
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 | TBD | TBD |
Game 7 (if necessary): Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 | TBD | TBD |
How to watch Oklahoma softball regional: TV channels, live streams
Oklahoma’s first game of the regional will be televised on ESPNU, and viewing options will continue to be released as the weekend progresses. Viewers can also stream at least one game on ESPN+ and Fubo, which offers a free trial.
If the 2024 Oklahoma softball regional is not available to watch live in your location or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
WATCH FROM ANYWHERE: Sign up for NordVPN (30-day moneyback guarantee)
Oklahoma softball regional tickets 2024
Tickets for the 2024 Oklahoma softball regional are available on Stubhub. You can find a complete rundown on prices and open seats via the link below.
BUY NOW: Get 2024 Oklahoma softball regional tickets on StubHub
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