Parent voices concerns over DHS Theatre inclusivity

PHOTO: The Davis High Theatre department, which most recently produced A Comedy Of Errors, has received criticism for its lack of inclusivity in the past.

By Shira Kalish,

BlueDevilHUB.com Editor–

When Beth Foraker gave birth to her third child, Patrick, in 1999, she attempted to nurse him as she had done with both of her other children. 

“When you have a baby, everybody wants you to be nursing. They have a million people to help you nurse,” Foraker said.

But with Patrick, Foraker did not receive this reaction. Instead, a hospital employee told her, “Don’t worry if you can’t nurse. It’s no big deal. We’ll get a bottle started, it’s fine.”

The reason? Her baby had Down Syndrome. People with Down Syndrome are born with low muscle tone and weaker mouths, lips and tongues, making it difficult to nurse.

“When you have a baby born with Down Syndrome, you have to become an advocate from the beginning,” Foraker said. “The whole world sees him as totally different than any other baby, and is going to expect a lot less from him.”

Patrick attended St. James School from K-8th grade, where he formed a close network of friends. However, while his friends went on to attend Jesuit from ninth grade onwards, he was denied admission – even though a lower-performing student from his class who had no disabilities was accepted. 

“It was just outright bigotry,” Foraker said.

Patrick ended up attending Holmes Junior High School for ninth grade, where he was welcomed and fully included. However, as soon as he enrolled the school tried to give him an IQ test. Foraker refused.

“They were so offended. They were like, ‘this information will help us be better able to support him.’ And I was like, ‘that’s not going to be good information for you,’” Foraker said. “Everybody already expects lower from him. So whatever number he gets, it will affirm the bias.”

After ninth grade, Patrick became the first student with Down Syndrome to attend DaVinci High. Throughout his high school career, he participated in Acme Theater, which Foraker said was “a fantastic experience for him.”

No issues arose until he auditioned for Davis High’s 2017 production of Legally Blond. Foraker was very excited for him, since he would be working with one of his old friends from St. James. However, after his first rehearsal, she received an email saying that he could no longer be a part of the musical. 

She sent an email back with ideas on how they could be inclusive and find a way to keep him in the play, but they did not respond. So she had to tell him that he could no longer participate in the performance. 

That was the first time that he ever asked his mother if there was something wrong with him.

A few months later, Foraker met with two adults from Davis High involved with the decision to cut Patrick from the play (who she has requested remain anonymous.) She asked them why they didn’t tell Patrick themselves that he could no longer be in the play, and why they would  even cast him in the first place if they didn’t want him in the show.

“They couldn’t explain it. It’s bold-faced bigotry. It wouldn’t be accepted by any other person, but since he has Down Syndrome, we have to accept it. And it’s messed up.”

Foraker said that they told her that Davis High really cared about students with disabilities, and that they are in the “center of the school now.” 

“And I was like, ‘No, they are still segregated, and that’s why my kid goes to DaVinci. So if you want to see inclusion, go a mile down the road. But you people don’t understand what inclusion is about, and it’s a big loss for your school,’” Foraker said.