Amusement firm refutes report linking it to Hempfield Significant College immediately after-university function showcasing ‘professional dancers’ | Community News

Some of the drag queens who carried out at Hempfield Superior Faculty past week are industry experts who sometimes do the job for an Altoona-primarily based amusement firm, the operator told LNP | LancasterOnline.

The proprietor of that enterprise explained, even so, that the business was not associated in the event and that the dancers participated on their possess.

Depiro’s Divas operator Michael Depiro claimed Monday he is consulting a law firm due to a report late last week by an on-line-only information web page that the effectiveness “featured specialist dancers” with a hyperlink to the Depiro’s Divas web-site.

Complaints about the event must not be directed toward his firm or the performers, Depiro stated.

“This is not their (the performers’) issue, this is the school’s issue,” he reported. “They were likely to what they imagined was an enlightening thing for the learners.”

In its report posted Friday, Harrisburg 100 also described the show was arranged by a Hempfield High Faculty teacher.

Hempfield University District explained in a assertion Friday that it experienced been created mindful of a “serious situation” at the district for the duration of an April 25 after-university celebration for the Homosexual Sexuality Alliance Club but has not presented further specifics.

In the statement the district documented it was investigating the circumstance and that an personal had been put on administrative depart. The assertion reads, in portion, “We are appalled at what took position and in no way condone this type of activity in our schools. Neither the dress of the invited visitors nor the functionality was appropriate in our faculty placing.”

Depiro mentioned performers who occasionally perform for his enterprise set on the display, but they did so on their possess, not via his business, including that the event was free of charge and the performers had been not compensated.

Depiro said he is not releasing the names of the performers or any extra information and facts until finally he gets even further instruction from his lawyer.

Depiro’s Divas is a “high-energy-packed drag exhibit production with a team of talented queens,” according to its web site, with some shows that are kid-helpful.

Hempfield faculty board President Grant Keener claimed Monday that the investigation was ongoing, and referred to the district’s statement when questioned for remark.

Keener said he did not have information of such performances in previous yrs, a claim advanced on Twitter by @libsoftiktok, an account recognised for reposting written content designed by liberal, remaining-wing and LGBT TikTok accounts in a derogatory fashion. A overall of 1.1 million Twitter consumers stick to the account.

The tweet from @libsoftiktok claimed to clearly show a screenshot of a social media put up from a instructor who arranged the Hempfield functionality. That write-up indicated that this was the 3rd yr of the performance.

Harrisburg 100 did not straight away respond to a request by LNP | LancasterOnline for remark.