Commentary: Clovis Unified leaders prove to be ‘snowflakes’ by removing kids from theater

Priorities and snowflakes have a lot in common. No two are the same, both can be natural or man-made, both can be beautiful and simultaneously do incredible damage, and while it might not seem obvious, Clovis seems to have an incredible amount of both.

Recently The Munro Review reported on an example that boggles the mind. Seventh- and eighth-grade students from Kastner Intermediate school were prevented from seeing a Children’s Musical Theaterworks production of “Oliver!,” the musical based on the classic Charles Dickens tale “Oliver Twist.”

Why? Munro reports there were concerns over “violence, alcohol use, and thievery.” We’re going to gloss over how rude the school was to no-show without alerting the theater. We’re going to choose not to ponder the school’s apparently recent discovery of the themes in the show that has been around for 50-plus years. We’re going to talk about the priorities this move demonstrates, and the snowflakes that led to a cancellation.

In a district that consistently spends on athletics over the mental health of their students (there’s $7.5 million for a pool, but not $3.3 million for school psychologists), or ignores class size (37 kids in a single elementary school classroom is considered acceptable while the National Average is 20.9) the priorities are clear. Clovis Unified’s school board has been more than willing to publicly challenge state or even federal rules and laws on things like mask mandates or school prayer, particularly when it gets members national media attention. But the board and district remain mum on why it holds nearly $150 million in “reserves” while the schools remain understaffed and the staff remains underpaid.

So, there are the priorities. Now onto the snowflakes. Munro documents the tribulations that preceded the Kastner Intermediate no-show at Children’s Musical Theaterworks. Earlier in the week first- and second-grade classes walked out of the production midway through the performance after parents, teachers, and chaperones suddenly realized that a family musical (Munro helpfully points out that the film version remains the last movie to win Best Picture with a G rating) is based on a story written in the 1800s that has pickpockets, a fight in which a man hits a woman, and a death at the end.

This material could certainly be considered too advanced for the 7 and 8 year olds (though I would be hard pressed to find a 7 or 8 year old who hasn’t seen worse on YouTube or a video game). And I might wonder how the decision makers were caught off guard by a musical that has been around since before the majority of them were 7 or 8 years old, but OK, they made a call.

But for 13- and 14-year-old kids in middle school? Really? At a campus where bullying ran so rampant parents were forced to remove their children from school for their own safety? These snowflakes suddenly thought a Children’s Musical’s depiction of violence was of concern? Where were these snowflakes when a CUSD student was assaulted in a locker room or athletes were allowed to continue playing after rape allegations?

It sure seems like the issues in Clovis Unified that need real attention aren’t surrounding minimal exposure to the arts. Our kids have witnessed these parental snowflakes scream about masks, scream about flags, scream about indoctrination, all without (legitimate) evidence. Our kids have witnessed coaches chased from their jobs by parents, witnessed teachers being punished for attempting to unionize, lost friends to suicide.

These snowflakes, though, they have priorities of their own, and the kids don’t seem to be on the list.

Noha Elbaz of Clovis is a college administrator. Email: noha.elbaz1@gmail.com.