Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus’ Rainbowland proved too controversial for one US school (Picture: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
An American school board has come under fire after Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus’ 2017 song Rainbowland was vetoed for an upcoming concert.
First-grade teacher Melissa Tempel slammed the Waukesha, Wisconsin school board after she claimed rainbow-themed songs Rainbowland, as well as the Muppet Movie’s Rainbow Connection, were banned.
Heyer Elementary sits on the outskirts of Milwaukee, and the School District of Waukesha, the body allegedly behind the ruling, says their aim is for schools to ‘develop in our students the capacity and skills to be community, college, and career ready’ in their mission statement.
Melissa guessed Rainbowland was banned because of the ‘beautiful lyrics’, which go: ‘Living in a Rainbowland / The skies are blue and things are grand / Wouldn’t it be nice to live in paradise / Where we’re free to be exactly who we are.
‘Let’s all dig down deep inside / Brush the judgment and fear aside,’ the song continues.
‘Make wrong things right / And end the fight / ‘Cause I promise ain’t nobody gonna win (come on).’
Dolly and Miley collaborated on Rainbowland in 2017 (Picture: Getty Images)
Flummoxed by the veto, Melissa took to Twitter and alongside a picture of the lyrics, and wrote: ‘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?’
Updating followers on the progress of her campaign, Melissa also shared the happy news that the Rainbow Connection ban was revoked ‘after parents sent emails to admin’.
She explained: ‘Rainbow Connection was unbanned today after parents sent emails to admin. Alliance for Education in Waukesha knows how to ally. I don’t know where I’d be without them.’
It’s not clear whether the same can be said for Miley and Dolly’s track.
When quizzed by outraged Twitter users, Melissa said ‘no reason’ for the ban was given, though she surmised that as the two songs banned were rainbow-themed, with connotations towards support for the LGBTQ+ community, ‘it seems the reason is rainbows’.
Sarah Schindler, whose daughter goes to the Heyer Elementary School and was ‘very confused’ at the ban, told the LA Times the school board has experienced a ‘conservative flip’ in recent years.
‘I know, Miley Cyrus kind of has a past, in the spotlight with, you know, talking about drug use, and sexuality, and all of that,’ she said.
‘And Dolly Parton supports drag queens, and you know, that’s another thing going about in our country these days.
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‘It feels like, because of these extreme policies that have been put into place by our school board in the past year or two, that administration, principals and teachers are now starting to second-guess all of their choices.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted the School District of Waukesha for comment.
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The song is all about acceptance.