Dolly Parton Rainbowland

Wisconsin School District Bans Class From Singing Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus Duet

A Waukesha, Wisconsin school district banned an elementary school from singing the Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus duet Rainbowland after determining the lyrics went against school policy.

Heyer Elementary first grade teacher, Melissa Tempel, made headlines after sharing the situation on March 21. In a Tweet, she wrote that her students were “excited to sing” the 2017 hit during a spring recital. But the administration “vetoed” the song.

“When will it end?” she asked.

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Along with the message, Tempel added a sample of the lyrics, which read “Living in a Rainbowland/ Where you and I go hand in hand…Where we’re free to be exactly who we are / Let’s all dig down deep inside / Brush the judgment and fear aside/ Make wrong things right and end the fight.”

After several major publications shared the story, The School District of Waukesha issued a statement sharing that there is a process behind song choices, and that was followed accordingly.

The statement share that there have been “a number of inaccuracies” pertaining to the situation. It went on to explain that Tempel asked her principal to approve Dolly Parton’s Rainbowland, and they sent the request to the central office administrator to review in accordance to the district’s Board Policy 2240 – Controversial Issues in the Classroom.

The principal and administrator “determined that the song could be deemed controversial in accordance with the policy.”

In the original thread, the teacher noted that no one clarified why the song was a problem. But in another tweet, Tempel hypothesized that the administration believed one of the singers is controversial.

School Suggested ‘Rainbow Connection’ in Lieu of Dolly Parton’s ‘Rainbowland’

The principal then suggested that Tempel’s class sang Rainbow Connection, which is sung by Kermit the Frog in The Muppet Movie. The song and several others are now officially part of the concert.

“This entire matter has been reviewed and the outcomes are fully supported by the Superintendent,” the statement added. “At no time was the Board of Education involved in this matter. This communication shall conclude the School District of Waukesha’s communication on this matter at Heyer Elementary.”

Tempel later tweeted that the district removed Rainbow Connection from the spring concert list. However, several parents sent emails to the administration, and the school reconsidered. So the song is “unbanned,” and the recital will carry on as planned.