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Duke Ellington school delays naming of theater after Dave Chappelle until April

Officials said the school plans to discuss Chappelle’s special and how it relates to artistic freedom

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Comedian Dave Chappelle addresses the student body and faculty at Duke Ellington School of the Arts on Sept. 29, 2017, in Washington. (Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

The Duke Ellington School of the Arts, in Northwest D.C., will postpone renaming its theater after comedian Dave Chappelle, one of the school’s most famous graduates, amid concerns from students about his recent Netflix special, the school said in a statement Friday.

A dedication was originally planned for Nov. 23. But the school said in a statement that “moving forward with the event … without first addressing questions and concerns from members of the Ellington Community would be a missed opportunity for a teachable moment.”