Drag performance at Sutton school event brings uproar, call for audit

SUTTON ― The School Committee on Thursday called for an independent financial audit into the Connections Conference, an annual event at Sutton High School that focuses on social justice, following concerns over a session in which a drag performer danced and sang on top of a table.

The committee passed a motion after a tense four-hour special hearing on Thursday evening at the school auditorium, where dozens of people directed comments at Sutton Memorial High School Principal Edward McCarthy and the five-member school board.

John Sullivan, who said he has three children in the Sutton school system, said that he “was not happy with the direction our schools have been going on,” referencing the Connections Conference.

“I understand there are several touchy social issues in the world today … these social issues can be taught in a way where we're not going to the extreme ends of the spectrum,” Sullivan said. “I've never pushed my kids on my opinions or my beliefs. … I will not accept they go to school and have the beliefs of others pushed upon them or be made to feel they're wrong if they disagree.

“These are my kids, not yours.”

Officers of the Sutton Police Department were present at the meeting. McCarthy said that following this year’s conference on March 15, at least two bomb threats were made to the school, and death threats were directed at school officials, including McCarthy.

The School Committee had planned to address the conference at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday, but the hearing was pushed to Thursday when the virtual portion of the meeting crashed due to high attendance.

At the beginning of the meeting on Thursday, McCarthy emphasized the benefits of the Connections Conference, while also apologizing to those in attendance, acknowledging that “three minutes of that presentation went a little bit too far."

“To paint an entire conference, an entire group, an entire community because three minutes went a little beyond what we expected does a disservice to all the work that they do,” said McCarthy. “Those people donate their time, their energy to people who are in danger, people who are ostracized and often have nobody else.”

The student-run Connections Conference held its fifth event this year, hosting 615 students from 56 high schools across New England. It was held on a professional development day, when classes were closed at the high school.

Workshops included a meet-and-greet with Cynthia Smith, a New York Times bestselling children’s author; and trans youth activist Kai Shappley.

One of the workshops also included an event by Pride Worcester that featured a drag performer, according to different sources, with humor and singing as part of the act.

Attempts to reach Pride Worcester were not immediately successful.

In an interview Friday, McCarthy reiterated that certain aspects of the performance during the Pride Worcester workshop were “not necessarily appropriate for a workshop,” adding that the drag performer did a cartwheel during the performance.

“But do I think that there's anything wrong with drag? Absolutely not,” said McCarthy. “They’re an important part of the LGBTQ+ community. The work that those guys do, I think, is just very powerful in our community.”

For the better part of the hearing on Thursday, which kicked off at 7:30 p.m., the board opened a public discussion, during which each speaker was limited to three minutes at the microphone.

“I’m not worried that my kids seeing a drag queen is going to make them gay,” said Jen Heck, a Sutton resident, “just like I’m not worried about my kids seeing someone with a gun is going to make them a killer, or seeing someone with a doughnut is going to make them fat.”

Lindsay Wilk, a resident of Sutton, also showed support for Connections Conference.

“I’ve attended the conference three times, and it’s always been a very energized day and wonderful for our students,” said Wilk. “These programs help to teach our kids that there are not acceptable things to be saying at school or anyplace else.

“Connections is not perfect, but it’s something.”

Some conference supporters in attendance wore shirts with the workshop’s logo. When approached by a reporter, they refused to comment and asked the reporter to leave the auditorium.

Jennifer Day-DeMora, a resident of Sutton, said she felt the school system was “developing a culture of fear, distrust, divisiveness and confusion."

“Students are now questioning everything they've been taught by parents, and not in a way that allows them to be critical thinkers,” said DeMora.

The School Committee closed the public discussion around 10:30 p.m., following with a motion for a financial audit into the Connections Conference, at the request of many residents who spoke at the meeting on Thursday.

When asked after the meeting about the audit, McCarthy said the conference is financed by private donations.

“I hope that people have their questions answered,” said McCarthy.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Drag performance at Sutton school event brings uproar, call for audit