Dave Chappelle’s name will not adorn the student theater at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts as been previously planned, the comedian announced Monday at a ceremony meant to install the name.

The school’s decision to name its theater after one of its most famous alumni was originally announced last year, but the ceremony was postponed after Chappelle’s controversial Netflix special “The Closer” sparked debates over freedom of speech and “cancel culture” due to homophobic and transphobic jokes he made in the show. The situation boiled over in November when Chappelle visited the school and initiated a heated conversation with students during an assembly.

Parents told DCist the administration’s handling of the “Closer” situation pointed to bigger issues at Duke Ellington, including how it has dealt with former teachers accused of sexual assault and the impact it’s had on students.

The theater will instead be called the Theater for Artistic Freedom and Expression. We’ve reached out to Duke Ellington school officials and will update this post when we hear back.

Chappelle helped name the theater after artistic freedom because “that’s what I would want for myself, and that’s what I want for every student that goes to this school,” he  told NBC4.

“I do feel like if that’s threatened, then the society at large is threatened,” he continued. “If artists feel stifled, then everyone’s stifled. And I feel like artists have a responsibility to really be true to their art right now.”

The D.C.-bred comedian and Duke Ellington alum said in October that the dedication was “the most significant honor of my life.”

Chappelle has donated millions to the school and, following the initial backlash in November, launched a fundraiser to gauge whether the theater should be named after him — he asked donors to note their objection or support in their donation message. “And if you don’t care enough to donate … please, shut the fuck up, forever,” he wrote on Instagram.

During Monday’s dedication ceremony, Chappelle said he was hurt by the criticism, but ultimately didn’t want the dispute to overshadow the students’ commitment to their arts programs, according to The Washington Post. Columnist Josh Rogin added on Twitter that Chappelle said, “The idea that my name will be turned into an instrument of someone else’s perceived oppression is untenable to me.”

Duke Ellington is a predominantly-Black public arts school in Georgetown with a significant number of LGBTQ students, some of whom told DCist they were threatened by Chappelle’s fans in Instagram messages when they criticized “The Closer.” At the time, the administration said it was hosting listening sessions with students so they could share their opinions on the naming.

Previously:
Dave Chappelle Controversy Marks Latest Frustration For Some Duke Ellington Students And Parents
Duke Ellington High School Delays Naming Its Theater After Dave Chappelle