Portland Public Schools officials are rethinking a district ban on rap music on buses after allegations of racism.

The district had banished hip-hop from its buses, deeming the genre "inappropriate."

Teri Brady, senior director of transportation at Portland Public Schools, sent a directive to bus drivers in March forbidding "religious, rap music, or talk show programs." The memo included a list of acceptable stations, broken down into three genres: pop, country and jazz.

Parent Colleen Ryan-Onken obtained a copy and it circulated in August among outraged parents, prompting the district to walk back the directive in statements released Wednesday.

Ryan-Onken, who is white, said the memo "kind of fell into my lap." And when she read it, she was livid.

"We regret the way this was communicated. Our intent is to limit student exposure to religious teachings, profanity and violent lyrics," said Portland Public Schools spokeswoman Courtney Westling. "The transportation department will be revising its guidance to bus drivers shortly to be more inclusive of different genres of music."

Westling said the district

had received several complaints regarding the radio stations that were played on buses.

"I think it's overtly racist and leaves out two of our major communities in our music choices," said Ryan-Onken, who has a senior at Roosevelt High School.

Ryan-Onken said not only is hip-hop music written off as "inappropriate" but Latin music also isn't even addressed.

"When you outlaw a kind of music that is very indicative of the modern culture of one group of people you're basically saying that they're not welcome," Ryan-Onken said. "Those of us in the district, living in diverse communities in Portland, understand the racial equity stuff going on is entirely for the cameras. There is no real meat behind it."

Ryan-Onken said the concern can't be swearing, as those words would be edited out on commercial radio.

"Country music is offensive. It's about date rape, liquor and drugs -- all kinds of things!" Ryan-Onken said. "It's just as offensive as rap music can be."

Kim Sordyl, a parent known for speaking out on district matters, wrote to school board vice chairwoman Amy Kohnstamm for help.

"PPS has a spent a lot of taxpayer dollars on a PR show of equity. It has a 'Racial Equity Policy,' 'equity lens' table tents & posters, $9 million/year is spent on no-bid equity contractors (who donated to your campaign)," Sordyl wrote to Kohnstamm, going on to call the memo "racist."

Sordyl said she has not heard back from Kohnstamm.

Attempts by The Oregonian/OregonLive to reach Brady were not successful.

Banning hip-hop may not protect young ears from controversial content. In 2012, Foster the People's "Pumped Up Kicks" topped charts. But beneath the veneer of bubblegum pop are unmistakably dark lyrics about a school shooting.

The chorus says, "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks / You better run, better run, outrun my gun. All the other kids with the pumped up kicks / You better run, better run, faster than my bullet."

In the wake of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting, several radio stations pulled the tune, which was nominated for a Grammy.

Portland, the whitest major city in America, has long had had a prickly relationship with hip-hop.

Portland's tolerance of hip hop has even come under national scrutiny. In 2013, Vice declared "Portland Has A Hip-Hop Problem" in an article that concluded gentrification pushed out minorities and, consequently, their music.

In 2006, Portland Police questioned if rap concerts were causing shootings, according to The Portland Mercury. In 2014, after police presence cut short a Southeast Portland rap show, Portland's Independent Police Review division examined the relationship between the police bureau and hip-hop artists.

Portland Police weren't alone in this fear. In 2006, The Wall Street Journal reported rap concerts in Las Vegas casinos were being canceled last minute due to pressure from police and the state's gaming control board, which regulates gambling.

The then-sheriff said he felt getting casinos to stop booking "gangster rap acts" was a "legitimate crime-prevention strategy."



This article was updated at 12:48 p.m. to reflect the district's decision to revise music guidelines.

-- Bethany Barnes