Dear Editor,

I was surprised to see in the Dec. 1  Stanford Daily article about Gaieties that I was cited by Producer Rachel Lindee as having approved the script (“Ujamaa staff and residents walk out of Gaieties, two groups schedule talks,” Dec. 1). I did nothing of the kind. In both an e-mail exchange with Rams Head Executive Producer Michael Rooney and in a meeting in my office with him and Ms. Lindee, I was asked for feedback on the material, but not “to sign off on this.” I was specifically told that I was not to be put “in a situation in which you imply some material is acceptable” in the Gaieties script. I explained that the show had the potential to be extremely offensive to many students on campus. I noted how the kind of religious, ethnic and racial humor in the script can be experienced as very disrespectful, hurtful and divisive. I added that it’s certainly not what Stanford is trying to promote in terms of pluralism as we train global leaders for the 21st century. Mr. Rooney responded that they were re-working the script, genuinely seeking to proceed in such a way as “to promote pluralism and intercultural understanding within the confines of this tradition.

Scotty McLennan

Dean for Religious Life

[Ed. note: This letter was originally published online on Dec. 2, 2010.]