US Deaf News: Deaf school disqualified from hosting Taylor Swift concert

Gawker has reported that Horace Mann School for the Deaf, which was targeted by internet pranksters who thought it’d be funny to encourage thousands of people to vote for the singer Taylor Swift to perform a concert there, has been disqualified from the competition.

The school didn’t leave empty-handed, but after the school’s principal gave the prospect of Swift visiting the school a positive response, we at The Limping Chicken think it’s a darn shame those kids won’t get to see her sing. Even if those internet people would have been rewarded for their cheek.

Quote from the report:

Apparently the contest’s sponsors, Papa John’s and the textbook rental company Chegg, didn’t approve of the way the school “got its votes,” and decided to disqualify it.

Happily, however, they were not sent away empty-handed.

As a consolation prize, both sponsors donated $10,000 a piece to the school’s music program, and Cover Girl, American Greetings, and Taylor Swift herself followed suit with $10,000 each. Additionally, Swift offered all Horace Mann students free tickets to see her perform live when she’s in town.

“Are we the winner?” Ford asked the Globe rhetorically. “Absolutely.”

Photo by Wezl

The Limping Chicken is supported by Deaf media company Remark!, provider of sign language services Deaf Umbrella, the Deaf training and consultancy Deafworks, the RAD Deaf Law Centre, and BID’s upcoming 5th anniversary performance by Ramesh Meyyappan on 12th October – don’t miss it!