The New York Times - September 10, 2009
Patricia Cohen

While the prospect of student performances of the gritty musical "Rent" has provoked objections at some high schools around the country, in Orange County, Calif., it prompted a handful of varsity athletes to threaten to rape and kill the lead actress in their school's production.

Now the county's Newport-Mesa Unified School District has agreed to institute anti-harassment and discrimination training to students and staff at the high school, Corona del Mar, and in the district as part of a legal settlement announced this week.

Hail Ketchum, the student actress who was targeted, said that while the attacks -- made in a video and posted on Facebook in December 2008 -- "were disgusting and very disturbing to me personally," what was "really disheartening is that when I complained about them, the administrators did little to deal with them." The district has agreed to issue her an apology.

Ms. Ketchum, who identified herself publicly for the first time on Wednesday, is now a freshman at Loyola Marymount University. Her mother, Karyl Ketchum, said in a telephone interview that even after they complained to school officials, the boys continued to harass and threaten her daughter; at the same time the school principal and some teaching staff publicly retaliated against Hail Ketchum. Rather than being expelled, as Ms. Ketchum's parents requested, the student athletes "continued with their sports and academic activities without interruption, even being honored for achievements in their athletic pursuits less than one month after we reported their threats." The school now has a new principal.

Ms. Ketchum added that the district responded only after the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California got involved and brought a lawsuit that charged an atmosphere of intolerance, sexism and homophobia reigned on campus.

"We're very pleased with the length and the scope of the training that was required," Hector Villagra, director of the A.C.L.U.'s Orange County office, said by phone. It will create "a cadre of about 30 professionals who can teach others in the district about sexism and homophobia and the procedures for handling complaints."

As for the school district, Laura Boss, director of district communications, issued a statement: "We believe this training program will raise awareness for staff and students and will contribute to an overall positive environment at Corona del Mar High School." The district did not admit to any liability or wrongdoing.

"Rent," which won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony award, is a modern-day version of "La Boheme" featuring prostitutes, transvestites, AIDS sufferers, drug addicts and gays in New York's East Village. a A student version, "Rent: School Edition," that omitted offensive language and one sexually explicit song was approved last year by the estate of Jonathan Larson, the musical's creator.Corona del Mar officials initially canceled the production of "Rent: School Edition," which had been chosen by the school theater instructor Ron Martin. That decision was later rescinded, and a production was staged in May.

"I watched every night for two weeks as over 30 teenagers showed myself and a packed house they understood the message that Jonathan Larson wanted to teach when he penned 'Rent'," Mr. Martin wrote in a statement, "that we are all indeed family and should show respect and love to all."
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