Becca Monaghan
Jun 30, 2023
content.jwplatform.com
A special needs school in Staten Island has caused a furious debate online after hosting a Marilyn Monroe drag show, which led some people to believe the school should "fire everyone involved".
The Department of Education has since turned its attention to the event, which saw a male staff member replicate Monroe's iconic white dress scene in the film The Seven Year Itch.
A low-quality clip allegedly taken at the event was shared on YouTube and showed a man on the stage with Sheryl Crow's 'A Change Would Do You Good' playing in the background.
He walks behind a screen which displays a photo of Marilyn Monroe before changing into a white dress.
"It’s like they’re forcing them to learn about this," a mother told the New York Post. "These kids are still young. They shouldn’t be forced to understand this yet. And they’re special needs kids who may not grasp what’s happening.
"They like to mimic and copy," she continued. "How do we know that another kid won’t flash someone?"
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‘Inappropriate’ performance at Staten Island special ed school under NYC investigationwww.youtube.com
Senator Andrew Lanza went on to call the performance "warped".
"I don’t know when adults stopped acting like adults when it became fashionable in the workplace to be on their own personal mission,” he said. "We went from the MeToo era to MeOnly."
Meanwhile, Nicole Brownstein, a spokesperson for the Department of Education, said in a statement: "We acknowledge the allegations that a recent performance at the school’s talent show exhibited inappropriate behaviour,"
"An investigation has been opened with the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City school district, and if conclusive, school leadership will take the necessary steps towards correcting this behaviour."
Indy100 reached out to the school for comment.
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