Posted on 10/13/2018 6:22:13 PM PDT by jazusamo
Last week the Forest Hills High School band's half-time performance depicted police officers being shot. The school faced fierce backlash because two local police officers had just been killed in the line of duty.
Now, the band is being penalized by the the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) and could face up to a year-long performance ban, the Clarion Ledger reported. The school district will be allowed to appeal the decision, MHSAA president Todd Kelly said.
According to Jackson School District Superintendent Errick Greene, they plan to appeal the decision.
"We don't believe for a moment that any focus of wrongdoing or poor judgment should be placed on the students," Green told WDBJ-TV .
He also said the district has conducted their investigation and will take appropriate action against the band director, although details have not been released due to personnel confidentiality.
"We do not believe there was any malice intended against the Brookhaven community," Greene said. "Unfortunately we do believe there has been a serious lapse in judgment."
Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, whose territory includes the high school, is defending the band.
"Let's be clear, the band students of Forest Hill should not be punished due to a bad decision made by a teacher," he wrote in a Facebook post.
A group of parents and community leaders held a press conference on Friday, saying the decision penalizes the kids, which they feel is unfair.
“Because of the uproar, they’ve been suspended from performing all year," Pastor Dwayne Pickett told WLOX-TV. "We think that is unfair. The ways these students are being threatened and it’s on the mayor’s Facebook page, different things about hanging students and they should be killed. Who’s going to say something about that?”
They should cancel the entire band program at that school.
I’m against the new strain of jive-turkey half-time shows, trying to use march band instrument to play the boogaloo on the field.
Instead of marching and formations, it’s booty-shaking and vulgarity that would make Miley Cyrus proud.
I’m old and retired now, but I once entertained getting a degree in music and becoming a band director, but that was in 1963, thank God I didn’t follow up on that, with what has happened with the schools.
In most school districts bringing a toy gun to school would likely result in serious discipline. Not sure why the band director thought this would be appropriate entertainment especially after the recent shootings of two police officers.
But... but... but what if the band members claim they were only following orders?
That was more than a “lapse in judgment.” They were portraying a criminal activity. They need to learn how inappropriate that was.
I agree with you. They are supposed to be MARCHING bands-—not tell-a-story-with-a-political-agenda bands.
Pastor of hate...
WWJD, buddy...killing cops is part of the beatitudes?
Or is is just a pastor of Social Justice? Real Christians need not apply.
I tend to agree.
When I saw the photo that’s in a couple of the above links a few days ago I couldn’t believe it, that High School has a real problem.
How many said, "Gee Mr. Director, that is a really cool idea! I can't wait until we do that. I can bring some toy guns!
Yep, in many grammar school classes they send young kids to the principal for drawing pictures of stick figures with a gun.
Only from a prospective of high school in the mid-70s...the folks in ‘band’ in that time period might have been bright but generally lacked common sense. In forty-odd years, I don’t think much has changed. Add to it that the character of teacher hirees has spiraled downward.
If you can’t fire the band instructor, then I’d have him/her personally supervised for a period of three years and forbid public appearances of the school band for 30 days.
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You’re right. Some of those students should have stood up and objected before the horror got to the field. The program should have been cancelled for two years and the band director fired...
Did-band this band.
You brought the backlash on yourselves. The ban should be permanent because of your attitudes.
I wondered why there wasn't any LE response to the firearms displayed during the band show.
There should have been a active shooter response.
Thank you Democrat Party for influencing the youth of our country in a BAD WAY!
Something is very wrong withe culture of that community...pathetic .
If metadata for the offending Facebook posts is analyzed I will bet they all came from students in the marching band or their teachers.
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