Texas school board reinstates trans student as lead in high school musical

A Texas school board has apologized and reversed a decision that ousted a transgender high school student from playing a part in the musical “Oklahoma!”

The Sherman school board voted unanimously to reinstate the show and the cast after meeting with several citizens who criticized its decision to remove an actor from the leading role last month.

Max Hightower, a 17-year-old transgender male, was no longer permitted to be cast as the show’s male lead, per the school district’s new policy. According to Hightower, the school’s principal told him actors can only play roles that align with the gender they were assigned at birth.

The school board released an apology after the vote.

“We want to apologize to our students, parents and our community regarding the circumstances that they have had to go through to this date,” Board President Brad Morgan said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

Sherman became the center of the national debate over the rights of transgender students over the school board’s initial decision to oust Hightower and female students from the roles in which they were originally cast.

Hightower told local news stations he was devastated to lose out on the role. He previously was able to play male and female roles in school productions.

“All kinds of actors have played all kinds of parts,” Hightower’s father said. “I mean, I grew up watching 'Mrs. Doubtfire.'”

During a meeting Monday, speaker after speaker criticized the board’s decision, a show of support for Hightower that he called unexpected and empowering.

“This is something that feels so big and out of my hands,” Hightower told WFAA-TV. “To know there is a big group of people who want to help me, and help everyone affected, it feels like we’re on even sides now and can actually win this fight.”

The Hill has reached out to Sherman Independent School District for a comment.