A conflict is brewing between Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and the Westfield High School Band that began with a since-deleted Facebook post from the lieutenant governor.
Beckwith, in a Facebook post on his personal account that has more than 30,000 followers, posted a link to a Westfield High School Band post from late March that wished students good luck at a competition and was accompanied by photos and a video of the band in their costumes.
“This is Westfield High School,” Beckwith, a Republican, wrote in his since-deleted post on April 22. “I’m starting to get the sense that schools like Westfield LOVE giving the (middle finger emoji) to Christian Conservative families of our community. Parents… use the VOUCHERS and get your kids OUT of our Indiana public schools like Westfield. Their futures and their lives depend on it!”
The students have black and red eye makeup and costumes on in the post from the Westfield High School Band. In a post from February, the band explained the costumes are for the indoor percussion program called “The Red Line.”
“The Red Line follows a journey of knowing where boundaries exist, yet feeling an urge to cross them,” the band’s post reads. “From the restraint of Bolero to the fire of Carmen Fantasy and Capriccio Espagnol, restraint gives way to passion as precision collides with obsession, leaving us changed forever.”
“Bolero”, “Carmen Fantasy” and “Capriccio Espagnol” are musical pieces.
IndyStar reached a spokesperson for Beckwith’s office, who declined to comment for this article. His office did not respond to questions about the meaning behind his post, or why it was deleted from Beckwith’s Facebook page.
Westfield Washington Schools also did not reply to a request for comment from IndyStar before publication of this article, but the school district and band are standing behind the students.
In a post on April 23, the Westfield High School Band listed several ways people could support them — without naming Beckwith in the post.
“Many of you have reached out asking how you can support Westfield Band — thank you,” the band’s Facebook post reads. “Your encouragement means a great deal to our students and staff.”
The post encourages people to wear green, one of the school’s colors on April 24, and share a photo with #StandingRockStrong. It also encourages people to support arts in their community or donate directly to the Westfield Band.
A post showing support for the band was also added to the Westfield Washington Schools’ main Facebook page on April 24.
“We are so proud of our Shamrocks,” the Westfield Washington Schools’ post reads. “WHS’s band program continues to set a high standard for performance, growth, and opportunity. From The Pride of Westfield Marching Band to nationally competitive winter ensembles, our students are consistently demonstrating excellence through dedication, teamwork, and a commitment to continuous improvement.”
The school’s band has also found support from Republican Westfield Mayor Scott Willis, in a statement that also does not name Beckwith, which was posted in the afternoon of April 23.
“When you hear ‘from Westfield, Indiana’ announced on a national stage, it’s a point of pride for our entire community,” Willis said in the Facebook post. “These students have put in the work, and it shows. It’s a great example of what can happen when students are supported by their schools, their families, and their community.
This isn’t the first time Beckwith has called out Westfield Washington Schools.
In late 2024, he threatened to push to defund Westfield schools after he said he was disinvited to an appearance at an agriculture program at Westfield High School following complaints about his visit.
Beckwith posted on X that Westfield Washington Schools “disinvited” him to meet with students in the district’s agriculture program “because it wouldn’t be ‘safe.’” By the end of the day, Beckwith shared again on social media that he had a “a great, honest, and firm” conversation with district leadership and received a new invitation to visit with agriculture students.
When Beckwith visited Westfield High School in early 2025, some parents stood outside and protested. The parents told IndyStar the lieutenant governor’s brand of being an outspoken champion of culture war issues and his specific comments about LGBTQ people and immigrants made them worry about having him around students.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @Jake_Allen19. Click here to get Hamilton County news sent straight to your inbox and subscribe to the IndyStar North newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Beckwith targets Westfield High School band in deleted Facebook post
Reporting by Jake Allen, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
