COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A video making the rounds on social media has caused a stir in the Tennessee Tech community, eventually prompting a response from the school’s president.
The video, posted to Twitter by @LandonStarbuck, shows a drag queen performing on stage at a Tennessee Tech facility.
In the video, several young children can be seen giving money to the performer.
The video has caught the attention of thousands of people online, and the latest to comment on the event is Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham.
Oldham released the following statement Thursday night in response to the video’s circulation online:
I am disturbed and dismayed about the activities in a video circulating on social media from a recent event on Tennessee Tech’s campus.
I do not feel the activities in the video represent Tech’s values, and I do not condone explicit activity where minors are present. I also am offended by disparaging mockery toward any religious group.
To be clear, this was not a university sponsored event. No university funds were used. Two registered student groups facilitated the scheduling and promotion of the event. Although registered student organizations have the ability to reserve space on campus, the programming should not include obscene, lewd or explicit activities.
The university is investigating the activities that took place at this event and the circumstances surrounding its scheduling and promotion. As of now, all public events scheduled on campus by these sponsoring organizations are cancelled pending a review.
All students, faculty and staff deserve care and consideration, as well as representation and respect. The investigation focuses on the inappropriate involvement of minors and a review of our policies and procedures.
President Phil Oldham
The video cites “Backdoor Playhouse” as the group responsible for the event. The Facebook page for the group states, “For over half a century theTTU Backdoor Playhouse has offered high quality, artistically challenging, and solidly professional productions to all of the citizens of our region.”