High school under investigation for lap dance homecoming skit
Hazard High School in Kentucky is under investigation by its district after photos surfaced of male students dressed in bras and underwear giving male teachers lap dances. The incident, according to the district, was part of the school's homecoming events earlier this week.
The photos of the event were originally posted to the "Hazard High School Athletics" Facebook page, according to the Courier Journal, but the post has since been deleted. The images, which have been widely shared across other pages and sites, show male students dressed in women's lingerie giving male school staff members lap dances. The adults being danced appear to be clapping and laughing.
According to CBS affiliate WYMT, the event was part of an event called a "man pageant."
Among the staff members photographed next to a dancing student was Hazard High School principal Donald "Happy" Mobelini, who is also the city's mayor. CBS News has reached out to Mobelini for comment.
Other photos show female students dressed in makeshift Hooters uniforms and carrying beer glasses.
Legend Goins, a senior at the school, told CBS affiliate WKYT that the event "wasn't meant to be anything sexual."
"It was just a joke so we could get more laughs," Goins said.
Another student, John Mackslover, told the affiliate that he thinks it's been taken out of proportion.
"I think that everyone's taking it way too far," Mackslover said. "Every year up to this year, I would say they're just as vulgar, as you would put it."
In a statement posted on the district website, Superintendent Sondra Combs said that the photos showed "inappropriate student-led activities" and that the district has a responsibility to address the issue. The homecoming event in question, Combs said, was among the festivities "driven by the students."
"We strive to foster creativity in our students, but unfortunately, this time it was carried too far," Combs said. "...Homecoming activities were planned as a celebration for students, staff, and the school community. All were intended to be fun and good-natured however, the activities did not play out as intended."
Combs specifically pointed that the school's dress code was not followed during the incident, and that in future activities, costumes "will be reviewed for appropriateness." According to the student handbook posted on the district's website, students are required to wear pants knee-length or longer, cannot show their underwear, must wear shirts that are sleeved and not low-cut.
The district said that it conducted "appropriate disciplinary action" following the event and that it will not disclose information about the specific actions taken. A student activity committee is being developed to "review all student led activities, which should prevent any such skits from being performed in the future," the district said.
Students and staff are also going to have to undergo policy and procedure trainings to "ensure this doesn't happen again."
"Using this as a teachable moment, we will provide social media training for our students and staff," Combs added. "In today's society students must understand that anything posted online is permanent! It is there on public display for everyone to see and share around the globe. We would hate to see a single youthful indiscretion haunt one of our children for their entire life."
"Our district would like to apologize for the activity that has been portrayed in the media and we regret how this has unfolded," Combs continued. "This is not the type of event that typically occurs here at Hazard High School, and we sincerely regret any embarrassment this has caused our school community."
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