Superintendent Steve Murray

A school superintendent in Bastrop, Texas, reportedly has canceled Tolerance Week activities planned by two high school Gay Straight Alliances after his office received complaints. The Tolerance Week activities, including a dance that had been scheduled for Friday night, were planned by GSAs at Cedar Creek and Bastrop high schools. However, Bastrop HS junior Lilly Dunn told KVUE that the groups found out Monday the superintendent had canceled them:

After three weeks of planning, Lilly and her classmates were ready to go. Then they got a text message Monday night.

“What we were told by our president was that the superintendent had said he thought it was just a dance for gay people, and that’s why he canceled it,” said Lilly.

KVUE News tried to talk with Superintendent Steve Murray, but he is out of town. The principal of Cedar Creek High School, Russell Sassin, did agree to speak with KVUE, but only over the phone.

He says the superintendent called him Monday afternoon after his office received complaints and concerns about the events.

“He was asking questions about it, and the decision was made that we would postpone all activities, not cancel them, but postpone them, until I could get more information together to give to the superintendent’s office,” Sassin said.

Principal Sassin says he expects the dance and Tolerance Week to be rescheduled to sometime in March. Still, it’s leaving some students and their parents unhappy.

“It’s sending the wrong message out to the, to the students, and saying ‘Oh, if enough people hound on you, it’s okay to, just, you know, completely cave in,'” said Lilly’s stepfather Jesse Torres.

In case you’re interested in contacting Superintendent Murray, it looks like he can be reached via an “Ask the Superintendent” page on the district’s website. The site lists his phone number as 512-321-2292 and 800-247-5308. Watch KVUE’s report below.