Good, Clean, Innocent Fun That Went Way Too Far

Have you heard about the high school in Kentucky at which boy students in drag gave lap dances to male staff members at the homecoming rally?  How is it that no one thought this would cross a line?  Here are some of the pictures.  Here is some of the fallout:

The superintendent of a Perry County, Kentucky, school district said disciplinary actions were taken after photos posted to social media showed high school students giving lap dances to staff members.

Incidentally, the school principal, seen in some of the pics enjoying his lap dance, is also the town mayor.

The pictures were posted on the Hazard High School Athletic page but have since been removed. They are still circulating on social media sites and show scantily clad students appearing to touch and dance in front of staff members.

"I found photos of inappropriate student-led activities that had since surfaced on social media. The district has the responsibility to address these issues that arise out of school-based activities. As a district, we are doing exactly that," Combs said in a statement.

She said "appropriate disciplinary action has been taken" but could not disclose further information because it involves a personnel matter.

The lap dances occurred during homecoming festivities at the school, which is located roughly 210 miles from Louisville. Combs said the activities are "driven by the students" and are supposed to be "fun and good-natured" but "did not play out as intended."

"We strive to foster creativity in our students, but unfortunately, this time it was carried too far," she said in her statement...

"While we value our student’s creativity, we also must ensure that it is focused in an appropriate direction and will be more vigilant toward that goal in the future," she wrote. "At the end of the day, the light-hearted activity simply got out of hand, and for that, we apologize. In the future, we will strive to keep the lighthearted, fun nature of school activities without the inappropriate behavior."

Let's hope so. 

Stories and excuses like this make a mockery of the word tradition:

And while some locals were appalled by what happened in their school, many parents, students and residents, stung by the onslaught of condemnation, have leaped ferociously to the school’s defense — casting the controversy as overblown and the work of outsiders.

“People who were not even connected to the school went after us,“ said student Gavin Goins, a sophomore who was at the event. “I think it’s an attack on tradition.”

That word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.