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.

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