UNCANCELED: Dave Chappelle's former high school now U-Turns and decides to stand by star by going ahead and naming its theatre after him despite controversy over his Netflix special The Closer
Dave Chappelle's high school has said it will now 'stand by' their decision to honor the comedian by naming their theater after him amid continuing controversy over his Netflix special.
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts initially postponed its hall renaming ceremony after Chappelle drew harsh criticism for crudely comparing the genitals of trans women to plant-based meat alternatives in his special, The Closer.
Claims of a potential walkout by students 'uncomfortable' with showing support for the 48-year-old then led to them seemingly to cancel the event altogether.
But the Washington DC high school has now backtracked and will 'stand behind our decision' to rename the theater after Chapelle.
The comedian courted controversy when he declared that he was 'team TERF,' a reference to feminists who reject the identity of trans women, in the stand up show produced for the streaming giant.
Dave Chappelle's high school has said it will 'stand by' their decision to honor the comedian by naming the theater after him amid continuing controversy over his Netflix special (pictured)
The Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC initially postponed its renaming ceremony after Chappelle drew harsh criticism for crudely comparing the genitals of trans women to plant-based meat alternatives in his special
Students are pictured gathering to welcome Dave Chappelle to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts theatre in an earlier encounter in September 2017
Staff at Netflix, trans comedians and several others condemned Chappelle's jokes and organised a walkout. Some also equated his remarks to hate speech and violence, while others have defended his right to humor.
The backlash also included students at Ellington, leading Chappelle to announce he would 'step aside' from the renaming honor if his critics donated more to the school than his supporters.
But the Washington DC high school then disinvited Chappelle from a charity event for the renaming, leading him to joke on stage: 'They're canceling stuff I didn’t even want to do.'
A statement on the school's website said: 'As a learning institution that champions inclusivity, diversity, equity and belonging, we care deeply about protecting the well-being and dignity of every member of our student body, faculty and community.'
However, the school appeared to reverse course on Sunday, saying instead that it would 'stand behind our decision' despite the fundraising challenge by Chappelle.
The school's statement reads: 'While we appreciate Dave’s impromptu and spirited fundraising initiative, we stand behind our decision to honor the wishes of our co-founder, the late Peggy Cooper Cafritz, to name the theatre after Chappelle.
'All donations will go towards arts programming and every donor, irrespective of their support or opposition to the theater naming, will receive an official thank you from our team.'
In October, people rallied in support of the Netflix transgender employee walkout to protest the streaming of comedian Dave Chappelle's comedy special The Closer
Chapelle recently returned to his alma mater where he held an hour-long Q&A session with around 580 students attending.
It was reported that he was heckled while addressing pupils, with one describing Chappelle as a 'bigot' and another branding him 'childish'.
Chappelle also reportedly told one student 'N***** are killed every day', after the audience member yelled out that 'your comedy kills'.
Chappelle's spokeswoman Carla Sims told Politico in response to the reports: 'They are complaining that he talked and said the n-word. If anything, Dave is putting the school on the map.'
The school have called reports of his tense return visit 'inaccurate.'
Comedian Dave Chappelle (pictured) was heckled this week while addressing pupils at his old school, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington DC, with some audience members complaining about his controversial Netflix special The Closer
The school added: 'Chappelle cares deeply about Ellington and its students and regards them as family. He made an unannounced visit before the Thanksgiving break to meet with his Ellington family and to hear directly from the few students who have concerns about his recent comedy special, “The Closer.”
'He also wanted to directly express support for their safety in light of some disturbing online comments targeting the Ellington community.
'While there has been extensive media coverage about the theatre naming and Chappelle’s most recent visit to the school, the source stories that have gone viral have been inaccurate, devoid of context, and neglected to include the nuances of art.
'As an art institution, we educate our students on the importance of media literacy and art as a free and open form of expression to both reflect and challenge society.
During his visit Chappelle - who graduated from Ellington in 1991 - also gave three students tickets to his 'Untitled' documentary and provided 600 meals for pupils and staff for Thanksgiving.
MailOnline approached Dave Chappelle's representatives for additional comment.
It comes after Chappelle was recently nominated for a Grammy Award despite facing backlash for his comments on transgender people in The Closer.
Ellington added in their statement: 'Our purpose is not to form a uniformity of viewpoints, but to help instill genuine, respectful curiosity in perspectives that challenge one’s own. The debates among some Ellington students largely mirror those that exist across Washington, D.C., and the country as a whole.
'The varying viewpoints expressed by students reflect differences of opinion across a wide variety of socioeconomic factors, including class, race, and gender expression.
'Ellington’s mission is to nurture and develop artist citizens. In light of this, Ellington has expanded its social studies curriculum to respond to the ever-changing social climate and relies heavily on our ability to incorporate real-life experiences into teachable moments.'
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