Parents on the Upper West Side say they were blindsided when a video surfaced of fifth-graders at P.S. 75 Emily Dickinson performing a routine in which students mimed being shot and then collapsed onstage during a recent multicultural program. Families told reporters the performance also featured homemade identity badges and onstage signs with messages about LGBTQ+ issues and other slogans, and that they had not been given a heads-up beforehand. The clip has sparked a wave of pushback from some parents and community members who say they felt shut out of the planning.
According to video obtained by the New York Post, students performed to the song "Glory" by John Legend and Common and, during the chorus, posed with gestures that echoed police officers before several children fell to the stage as if shot. The Post published images it said showed students holding signs that read "respect lgbtqia+" and "terrorism has no religion," and reported that some pupils wore identity badges, including one labeled "I'm bisexual." The outlet also identified the teacher who organized the performance as Shahreen Karim and placed the program on June 11.
P.S. 75 Emily Dickinson's official site lists the school at 309 West 95th Street and names George Georgilakis as principal. The school describes itself as a K–5 neighborhood elementary that offers programs including Spanish dual-language instruction and an ASD Nest classroom.
Parents and school officials respond
Parents who spoke to the Post also complained about earlier programming. They said they were not informed in advance about a May 5 author visit in which transgender author Kyle Lukoff reportedly read "When Aiden Became a Brother" to second-graders, and some families said other LGBTQ+ inclusion activities had been introduced without prior notice.
In a statement to the New York Post, a Department of Education spokesperson said the agency is working with the school to ensure families receive advance notice ahead of events. Parents and community members say they want clearer communication from school leaders about the content of assemblies, author visits and similar programs.
How this ties into a wider debate
The controversy at P.S. 75 is unfolding against the backdrop of a national fight over classroom materials, author visits and Pride programming for younger students. In recent school years, national reporting and advocacy organizations have tracked thousands of challenges and removals of books and programs related to LGBTQ+ identity and racial justice, as analyzed by the Washington Post. School leaders and parent groups argue that clearer notification policies and upfront criteria for what is considered age-appropriate can help lower the temperature when lessons or performances touch on identity or policing.
What comes next
Families at P.S. 75 are calling for more transparency and face-to-face meetings with school and district officials. With the Department of Education now involved, the matter is expected to get a district-level review. Parents say they anticipate PTA discussions that press for a timeline, specific event-notice rules and more detailed explanations of how future assemblies and author visits will be vetted as the school and community hash out next steps in the coming weeks.
