WS/FCS officials to meet with Forsyth Tech about drag performance

Officials from Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and Forsyth Technical Community College will meet to set clear expectations for high schoolers on campus on Thursday.

This comes after some WS/FCS Early College and Middle College students attended a drag performance at FTCC last month. 

A short video from the event went viral on TikTok. It shows a drag performer dancing with a high school student who is seated in a chair. The student stands up and hugs the performer after the dance.

“WS/FCS apologizes that some of our Early and Middle College students were exposed to an inappropriate dance during the Forsyth Tech PRIDE Club event," district officials said in a statement after the event. "That performer’s dance was not something students of that age should have been able to access or witness."

According to the statement, WS/FCS Early and Middle College Administration was aware of the Pride Festival being held at the school, but not that there would be an entertainer performing “in a manner that was not appropriate for underage students.”

Superintendent Tricia McManus spoke about the incident at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday. 

She said the district would be meeting with FTCC staff to revise their Memorandum of Understanding on April 27. The revisions will be brought to the school board on May 23.

“It's going to be very detailed about what the expectations are, and what is OK, although our students are on a college campus, what is OK for them and not OK for them,” McManus said.

Several public speakers at the meeting said they’d like to see the district do more about the issue. 

“We want accountability and to see some sort of action," said Tiffany O'Donnell. "Not just changing some words in paper, but actually some disciplinary action."

She and others said this is about protecting children. 

Reynolds High Schooler Rae Rackley said the incident of “true terror” at Forsyth Tech last month was not the drag show, but when a student brought a gun to campus and shot themselves in the hand. She urged the board to consider a secure gun storage resolution.

“We spend most of our time at school not worrying about drag queens, but worrying about if someone has a gun, and what could happen, and if we will be the next headline on the news, the next story of more kids shot and killed,” Rackley said. 

The district’s legal counsel says the performance at FTCC is still under investigation.

Pending legislation filed this month would make it illegal for adult entertainers, including "male or female impersonators" to perform on public property, or in the presence of individuals under the age of 18.  

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.