$18,000 drag show causes controversy for this public university president: report
Lawmakers demanded the termination of University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz after the university reportedly paid $18,000 to the headliner of OU's 'Crimson & Queens' drag show.
President Harroz reportedly drag queen Yvie Oddly, who headlined the April 28 performance.
Oklahoma lawmakers demanded the ouster of a university President after he paid thousands of dollars for a drag show.
In May, the lawmakers demanded the termination of University of Oklahoma (OU) President Joseph Harroz after the university paid $18,000 to the headliner of OU’s annual “Crimson & Queens” drag show. “Crimson and Queens” is an annual drag show that “provides a platform for OU students and other local performers to showcase their art and increase visibility for the local LGBTQ+ community.”
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According to an Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) report), President Harroz paid $18,000 to drag queen Yvie Oddly, who headlined the April 28 performance. Harroz’s $500,000 annual salary pays out roughly $1369 per day, which makes the funds worth 1214% of his daily income.
In response to OCPA’s public records request, OU noted that the funds used for the event were used from distributed student activity fees; no student tuition and state appropriations were used to host this event.
State Rep. Justin Humphrey questioned the amount paid to the headliner by the president to local news outlet Fox 25. “So my question is, why are we spending $18,000 of the OU money, educational money, they could go to scholarships, could go to research, cancer research, these kinds of things that a school should be doing other research for the betterment of all people,” Humphrey said.
“So for the President to allow this kind of action should be instant grounds for termination,” he added. “I’m gonna call on other legislators, I’m calling on the governor. Let’s fire him today.”
[RELATED: Oklahoma official demands to know ‘every dollar’ public universities spend on DEI]
The University of Oklahoma sent a statement regarding this issue to Fox 25. “The University of Oklahoma embraces our commitment to ensuring diverse voices and beliefs are represented across all OU campuses,” the statement reads.
Campus Reform reported in May 2021, that the University of Arkansas spent more than $10,000 in student fees on Zoom drag show. The University paid the performers $11,050 for a 60-minute drag show.
The University of Oklahoma and Representative Justin Humphrey were contacted via email for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
