Waukesha teacher who said the school banned Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton's 'Rainbowland' has been placed on administrative leave

Waukesha teacher who said the school banned Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton's 'Rainbowland' has been placed on administrative leave

Melissa Tempel, the Waukesha teacher who said the school district's administration banned students from performing the song "Rainbowland" by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton, has been placed on administrative leave.

Tempel, a first grade dual-language teacher at Heyer Elementary, confirmed she was on leave from the Waukesha School District in a text to the Journal Sentinel but deferred any further comment to the Alliance for Education in Waukesha.

The alliance is a group of mainly Waukesha parents who announced Monday on social media that they want superintendent James Sebert to be investigated for discrimination of LGBTQ+ students and staff, accusing him of repeated discriminatory actions.

Sebert later confirmed in a statement that Tempel was on leave and wouldn't comment further.

Sebert said in March the decision to pull the song was based on "whether it was appropriate for the age and maturity level of the students" and because of "social or personal impacts" on them.

"This Superintendent and Board began the march toward marginalization last year, and it has only served to stoke fear and sow distrust in the Waukesha Community, which has yielded a pattern of bullying against anyone who calls out the district's bias and harassment," a statement from the alliance reads. "Now Waukesha is a national laughingstock and the blame for that falls squarely to the feet of the district's leadership, not those who have the courage to hold them accountable, like Ms. Tempel."