Sioux Falls Children’s Choir singer in wheelchair denied access to stage at Foreigner concert

On Wednesday night at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir stood upon risers to perform alongside rock band Foreigner for 9,000 people in a nearly sold-out concert.

But 12-year-old singer, Halle Bauman, who is in a wheelchair and has been performing with the choir for two years now, stayed home that night because she was denied access to the stage.

“This was brought to our attention a few hours before the show that there were safety concerns with getting (Halle) on stage,” said Jim Johnson, assistant general manager at the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

More: Foreigner apologizes for denying access to Sioux Falls choir singer during concert

Even though the PREMIER Center is the host, it is the band and tour managers who are responsible for the set and equipment. And it was Foreigner’s team who decided not to invite Halle on stage after all, despite knowing since May that the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir had a student who uses a wheelchair and would need to be accommodated.

“We spoke to personnel and offered absolutely anything we could do to still make it happen, but that was ultimately a decision we couldn’t make,” Johnson said. “It was very frustrating on our end.”

More on accessibility awareness: The PREMIER Center was recently KultureCity Sensory Inclusive certified.

Halle’s mother, Christa Bauman, said her family has attended events at the PREMIER Center before, and the officials have always been accommodating. She said she and choir director Kaela Schuiteman had spoken for months with the events center to “avoid this issue.”

“Then we were told while driving on our way to the show that they had changed their minds and that Halle’s wheelchair was a hazard onstage,” said Bauman, who said they turned around and went home after receiving the call from Katie Kirkland at the PREMIER Center. Bauman’s phone was on speaker. Halle heard the upsetting news at the same time Bauman did.

“Halle was rightfully hurt and confused and devastated,” she said.

Johnson said that Foreigner and their team provide this kind of opportunity for local choirs often, asking kids to audition and then come up to sing a song with the band.

But Schuiteman said one of the tour managers’ “excuses” was that the pyrotechnics being used for the show were not safe for Halle, and, without a ramp that was ultimately not built as part of the stage set, Halle would not be able to exit the stage promptly if needed.

A representative of the band could not be reached for comment.

Halle is in the Penguin Project too! She is an actor with an organization for kids with all abilities.

“When the band is dealing with a big production, I understand there are legalities,” Bauman said. "But you also are creative and can figure out a solution if you wanted to. They were lazy and didn’t want to deal with it.”

Schuiteman said she and her board members on Wednesday night were “still trying to figure something out” for Halle, even as the concert itself had already begun. The board had suggested to Halle’s mother that, if Halle couldn’t perform, no one was going onstage that night, but Bauman refused to upset the other kids and insisted they enjoy the show.

“She was so brave,” Schuiteman said. “Christa just said to try to let it go and have fun.”

Potential ADA violations

Molly O’Connor, executive director of REACH Literacy in Sioux Falls and a loyal advocate for accessibility and inclusion in the community, says this exclusion “is gut wrenching” and goes against the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“The ADA requires that public accommodations—including concert venues—provide equal access to their facilities for people with disabilities,” she said. “This, of course, would include performers who use mobility devices and require access to the stage.”

Bauman, who said Halle was diagnosed with spina bifida at birth, said she is exploring a dispute of this potential ADA violation.

“This isn’t about us,” she said. “Halle is just one person who uses a wheelchair, but everyday people in wheelchairs are discriminated against and put on a shelf or turned away. Until if affects your own life, people don’t notice the burden.”

That night, at about 9 p.m., the rest of the Sioux Falls Children’s Choir stood on stage and proudly sang, “I Want to Know What Love Is” as part of the encore with Foreigner.

“This mountain I must climb, feels like a world upon my shoulders," they sang. "Through the clouds, I see love shine, keeps me warm as life grows colder.”

Even with what might feel like “the world” on Bauman’s shoulders, she said she persists in advocating for her daughter, as does Halle’s choir director, who said her board is considering adding a special concert to the end of their season so Halle can be celebrated. This was also Halle's last season as part of the choir, which is for children in grades three through six. Halle is a seventh grader at Sioux Falls Christian and intends to sing for their choir as well.

“God gives us assignments,” Bauman said. “I didn’t want this assignment either, but that is the life we’ve been given. And along with it, comes opportunities to advocate.

“I also know that Halle is watching and listening to all of this,” she said. “This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her. We have to do what we can to force change.”

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls Children’s Choir singer in wheelchair denied access to stage at Foreigner concert