The Passion of the Administration

One student’s story of being harassed and censored by his university.

By Chris Lee, Washington State University
Tuesday December 13, 2005

Editor’s Note: We at Campus Progress find the play at issue in this article, “The Passion of the Musical,” so offensive that we want to point out that we in no way endorse its content. (The full script is available here.) However, we are firm advocates of free speech on campus, especially at state universities, where it is clearly protected by the First Amendment. We have not investigated all the details described below by Chris Lee, who wrote “The Passion of the Musical,” but we wanted to share his account and provide our readers with the opportunity to comment. We encourage students who find performances and other speech on campus offensive to use their own First Amendment rights to respond in the form of a rally, article or other appropriate venue, not to trample the rights of the offender.

In the summer of 2004 I decided to write a musical. I saved up a production budget for it by working at a grocery store. I finished my script of Passion of the Musical in November 2004. I held auditions in late January and had the show cast by March. I never pretended the show was appropriate for families or young children. I asked the university’s Visual Performing Literary Arts Committee (VPLAC) to help fund my show. VPLAC approved giving me $250 to use for the cost of the facility and security. At no point did VPLAC ask for any complimentary tickets although later they claimed that I denied their request for some.

The Theatre Department, which I have been a part of for three years, refused to let me use any of their theatre space on the grounds that they thought my play lacked a point and that it would cause too much needless controversy. Laurilyn J. Harris, Director of the Theatre Program, said my play was juvenile and anti-Semitic and would only bring the end to the theatre arts program at Washington State. Other theater professors were very supportive. They allowed me to use costumes from the department as well as precious rehearsal space. Neil Manning, manager of the Compton Union Building (WSU’s community center), let me use the theater there to rehearse and premiere the show.

The first two nights of the event went off without a hitch. The third night was a different situation. Rich Kelley, Director of Campus Involvement, brought me an invoice that indicated that the university had paid for forty protestors to come see my show. I agreed as long as they would remain quiet and respectful. Kelley agreed even though he knew what was in store for my show that night. The protestors were passing out flyers telling the audience why a show like this was unacceptable and how they are bad people for supporting it. As the show started, a string of coordinated cell phones went off. Then a boat load of phrases rose up from the crowd, ranging from “I’m offended” to “I’m going to kill your racist asses.” At one point during the show I had to stop because the hecklers were so loud. I demanded that security and the police remove those making a noise, but I was told that instead of censoring them, I should change up my songs so that the students who were offended wouldn’t rush the stage. I changed the lyrics to my next song because it wasn’t worth my actors’ safety. On the video of the event you can catch over 300 interferences from protestors during the course of the show.

The aftermath of the show was overwhelming. Our student newspapers declared that this was the biggest racist event of the century. V. Lane Rawlins, President of Washington State University, who was at the event, later went on to say that he supported the rights of the hecklers, even though he also said there were moments during the performance where he feared there would be violence. Multiple complaints were filed to the Center for Human Rights, who decided an investigation was in order. Two weeks before the investigation was complete, the head investigator, Raul Sanchez had come to the conclusion that he not only didn’t like me but also didn’t want to believe me.

Washington State University has yet to apologize to me. Any show I put up at this University now must have a warning on it that states, “This event may contain material offensive to audience members. Viewer discretion is advised. You must exercise your own judgment in deciding whether to attend or remain in attendance at any production.” I feel it is the school’s way of apologizing and censoring me and the same time.

Censorship on campus occurs for students on all sides and with all views. Recently, several students were censored at Hampton University for their opinions on President Bush and the war in Iraq. What do you feel happened at Washington State? Discuss this, and the issue of students and free speech, on the blog.