High School drama students rehearse play about bestiality, pedophilia
SCOTTSDALE, AZ -High school plays can push boundaries, but a play in rehearsal at Cactus Shadows High School may have gone a little too far.
"To me, the play read like a porn script. It seemed that it was just meaningless and incessant blather, until you got to the really good parts," said one parent.
That parent, who wished not to be identified, got wind of the play after his son brought him the script over the weekend.
"The further into the script I got he started pointing out parts that he {his son} was uncomfortable reading," the parent said.
It would be difficult for any high schooler to read any portion of the script for The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia, due to its extremely sexual nature.
"There's several bestiality scenes. There's scenes where they talk about one of the friends of the main character, a female, having sex dogs," that parent said.
Another parent of one of the drama class members says the teacher wanted students to hide the play.
"He wanted the kids to keep it a secret from their parents," he said.
Both of those parents are beyond upset and wondering how the play got approved.
Debbi Burdick, who is superintendent of the Cave Creek Unified School District, told CBS 5, "We're very disappointed in the language in the play."
Why high school students were rehearsing it is under investigation she says.
"It's our standard practice to put the teacher on paid administrative leave, which is what we've done pending the outcome of the investigation," Burdick said.
She did provide a clue as to how the play slipped through the cracks.
"We don't check every lesson, everyday. We expect that to be something our own educators have a filter that they use."
Superintendent Burdick says Scottsdale police are investigating the teacher bringing that play into the classroom. Once that is complete, she says that will better tell district leaders how to proceed. KPHO