Texas high school canceled musical after girl was cast as male lead — now she’s taking the district to federal court
The district cited a number of reasons, including the Senate Bill 12, for stopping the production of 'Little Shop of Horrors'
Seventeen-year-old Ana Mota loves theater. She didn’t audition for “Little Shop of Horrors” to make a political statement or rebel for a cause. Yet when South Grand Prairie Independent School District (GPISD) in Texas handed her the script for Seymour Krelborn — a nerdy, down-on-his-luck florist in the musical "Little Shop of Horrors" — district officials were pestered that a girl was playing the male lead, and the play was cancelled. So now, instead of stepping up on the stage, Mota is taking the matter to federal court to prove that she can’t be benched from a male role just because she is a girl, as reported on October 14, 2026, by CBS Texas (@CBSTexas), which has gained 21,000 views since.
A practice rooted in history
This is not the first time Mota was cast as a male character. She had played Jack in “Into the Woods,” as well as Pinocchio in “Pinocchio Commedia,” since there aren't enough boys to play the roles. But somehow, this time, the district officials viewed her male role as a constitutional crisis, fearing it would break a Texas law that concerns gender identity. So this week she filed a lawsuit in federal court for gender discrimination, arguing that the school is denying her educational opportunities because she’s a female.
“My directors thought I was the best for the role and put me in the role because I auditioned well, not for any other ulterior motive. And me portraying a male character isn’t something that should be considered controversial because it’s been done in theater for years," she told The New York Times.
She also told NBC5 that the district’s decision left her confused. "In Shakespearean theater, there was so much cross-gender casting, you know, males playing females. In history, just the idea of a female playing a man or a man playing a female has never been something that was like outlandish and crazy to anyone," she explained. Her mother, Nancy Jimenez, expressed that she didn't imagine they had to resort to something like this. "Honestly, this is bringing me zero satisfaction," she said.
Meanwhile, the school district cited a number of things that were wrong with her playing the male lead in the play, including the romantic relationship between Seymour and another female named Audrey, plus the portrayal of an abusive relationship.
In light of the law
The district also said that the decision “was made in light of the district’s ongoing effort to ensure its programs remain consistent with Senate Bill 12 and all applicable law.” According to the Texas government, Senate Bill 12 (SB12) relates to parental rights in public education and prohibitions regarding instruction, social transition, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) duties. The law prohibits a district from assigning DEI duties to any person. Mota protested that the law doesn’t specifically ban gender swapping in musical productions. “So it is a little bit of a gray area. There are some very specific items in SB 12 that aren’t really that hard to figure out. There are others that are pretty vague,” attorney David Coale told NBC 5.
'Using my voice'
On the other side, Mota’s lawsuit argued that the school district violated Title IX, a federal law that bars gender discrimination in education. “This is her last year in school, and she’s been deprived of an opportunity that would have really been a challenge for her in terms of honing her stagecraft and her acting art,” said her lawyer, Jonathan Winocour. After the lawsuit, the school even offered her the role of Audrey, the show’s female role, but Mota declined.
The school has decided to replace “Little Shop of Horrors” with a production of “Frozen.” While Mota hopes that the show’s production will be restarted, she said that meanwhile, she’ll audition for “Frozen.” "Something that is always important to me is using my voice, and I think others should do so as well," Mota asserted.
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