Despite complaints from parents, the eighth-grade classes of Johnston Middle School still are scheduled to attend a special showing of the play “Fires in the Mirror” in Fisher Theater at 10 a.m. today.

Gary Busby, principal of Johnston Middle School, said Thursday that nearly 90 percent of the parental permission slips had been turned in.

After reading the script, some parents in the Johnston Public School District complained to school officials about the use of profanity.

Johnston school officials then contacted the Iowa State theater department.

The director of the play, Shirley Basfield Dunlap, said the officials requested that the offensive words be removed from the performance the students would be attending.

Dunlap, assistant professor of music, said she was offended by the parents’ request.

She said the parents cited page numbers and specific lines that contained offensive terms.

Although they did not have a problem with the use of the word “nigger” in the script, the parents were concerned about the use of “shit,” “piss,” “pussy,” “ho” and “bitch.”

Dunlap said the original message communicated was: “‘You take these words out, or we may have to ask for our money back.'”

Dunlap said rather than changing the original script to accommodate the parents’ wishes, she agreed to reimburse the school for about $1,000 in ticket sales.

However, Dunlap said the Johnston school officials still wanted the students to attend.

“[They] wanted to come because they wanted their children to see this culturally diverse piece,” she said.

Based on a 1991 incident in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, “Fires in the Mirror” depicts a real-life incident in which a group of Hasidic Lubavitcher Jews collide with a group of Caribbean and African American people.

“I said that exactly what was being asked of me was exactly what this play was about,” Dunlap said. “Here the play is about two groups that aren’t understanding each other and preferential treatment, and one parent thinks they are higher and come to the theater department to make demands.”

Dunlap said she is not a director who believes in changing lines.

“I can’t be censored. I wasn’t gonna be censored for something I felt was important,” she said.

Busby said problems arose because of confusion surrounding school policy.

Parents did not understand how a school that does not allow students to swear in class would sponsor an outing where they would hear “shit” six times, he said.

Busby said the field trip is an extension of a district goal dealing with problem solving. Teachers decided to incorporate this dramatic production into their teachings of conflict resolution.

“[The play] seemed to echo a lot of the things we’re talking about with our kids,” said Sharon Mahoney, eighth-grade language arts and history teacher at Johnston Middle School.

Mahoney said watching the play will aid class discussions of differences between people and the importance of examining the rights and wrongs of both sides.

Busby and Mahoney both said they are sensitive to parent input, which is why they interceded on the behalf of parents’ concerns.

Busby said the school has the students’ best interests at heart, and Mahoney said follow-up discussions will address the proper use of such profanity.

“At one point, we need to look beyond the vulgarity of the word and see the vulgarity of what people do to one another. That is the real vulgarity,” Mahoney said.