'Marian' theater students file public record request for emails of school officials who cancelled play

FORT WAYNE — Several Carroll High School students are filing a public records request with Northwest Allen County Schools for more information on its cancellation of "Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood" at the beginning of the year.

The request is seeking copies of all emails sent or received by superintendent Wayne Barker, assistant superintendent Bill Toler, former spokesperson Lizette Downey and Carroll Principal Cleve Million that discuss the play, its cancellation and any pertaining media requests.

Stella Brewer-Vartanian was a student producer for the independent production of "Marian" in May. She’s listed on the request for emails.

“All we want is for NACS to tell the truth," Brewer-Vartanian said during a July 11 press conference. "Which is that they canceled the play because they were afraid of homophobic parents. Not because of student disruptions, not because of student behavior.”

According to students, school leadership told them the play was canceled over calls from parents expressing concerns over the LGBTQ+ elements of the play.

Students made their displeasure known during a board meeting, after which Superintendent Wayne Barker noted that while the school was concerned about protests, the issue had led to disruptions between students as well.

A spokesperson for NACS said the district doesn’t comment on records requests, but their statement regarding the cancelation remains the same.

The students staged an independent production of the play in May after raising more than $80,000.

Ella Abbott is a multimedia reporter for 89.1 WBOI in Fort Wayne.