In an email statement, Jacquee Wahler, Disney spokeswoman, stated that the performance of the “Indianettes,” a drill team from Port Neches-Grove High School, in the Magic Kingdom “did not reflect [our core values] and we are sorry it happened.”
The statement stated that an audition tape provided by the school to perform at the resort was not consistent with the actual performance.
Wahler stated that new measures were taken to stop this from happening again. She didn’t elaborate.
A video from the performance is posted to Twitter. Members of the drill team can be seen shaking their heads and tapping their lips while a drum beats in the background. This is what is stereotypically called “war cry”.
Mike Gonzales, Superintendent of Port Neches-Groves School District, and Cortnie Schexnaider, Indianettes director, did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. KFDM-TV Beaumont received a statement from the district stating that they were aware of concerns regarding the performance by our Indianettes and band at Disney World.
Our school district is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion. The district said that the district is close to 100 years old and that the Board of Trustees is committed “to always make the best decisions for our students and staff as well as the communities of Port Neches or Groves.”
A spokesperson for PN-G stated that this was the eighth time that PN-G has performed the routine at Disney World. According to the spokesperson, Disney never inquired ahead of time about the planned performance.
Port Neches, a petrochemical refining facility located in the vicinity of the Gulf Coast is about 13 miles (20 km) southeast Beaumont, Texas. According to the school district website, the Indianettes have been a part of Port Neches-Groves High School since more than 50 years.
