Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton’s ‘Rainbowland’ Banned From Elementary School Concert
Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton's 2017 duet "Rainbowland" was deemed inappropriate by a Wisconsin school district, and one teacher is furious.
According to People, Melissa Tempel, a dual language teacher at Heyer Elementary in Waukesha, Wis., is clapping back at the Waukesha County Board of Education after they nixed the song from the school's first-grade spring concert, calling it too controversial.
"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?" Tempel lamented in a tweet, sharing the song's innocuous lyrics.
People reports Tempel was told that the song was banned because Cyrus is "controversial." However, the educator believes it's because of Parton's popularity with and connection to the LGBTQ+ community.
As of publishing, Tempel's viral tweet has been viewed over 152,000 times on the app, drawing reactions that span from shock to disappointment.
READ MORE: Dolly Parton on Miley Cyrus: 'People Thought I Was Making a Mistake
According to the Los Angeles Times, Sarah Schindler, parent of a first-grade student at Heyer Elementary, said her daughter was excited to perform the song alongside Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" and "Rainbow Connection" from The Muppet Movie.
Schindler told the Los Angeles Times that "the school district of Waukesha has really cracked down on anything LGBTQ" and that "this song being an 'issue' has not in any way come as a surprise."
"All that Miley and Dolly are saying is that they want to live in a world that is accepting, with no judgment, and where people can be who they want to be," Schindler said.