Ahead of spring break, students at Desert Hills Middle School (DHMS) in Kennewick, Wash., gathered for an assembly in the school gymnasium to enter a fundraising contest which was filmed. Attendees were horrified to see students compete against staff in a head-to-head relay to see who could lick milk off a plexiglass divider the fastest, despite the obvious excitement among attendees.
To the applause of the others, the audible disgust of the students in the audience could be clearly heard, with one stating, “It really is so disgusting!” as another person shouted, “What is this?”
“Who had the bright idea that this would work? In the video, someone spoke while others shouted “Eww!”
Asked about her daughter’s response to the exposure with sexual overtones by a local NBC station, April Jordan said: “If 12-year-olds can relate to that then…yeah, it’s a little worrying that I do Trust these people with my kid who can’t even make that decision on his own.”
Another mother confessed to conservative radio personality Jason Rantz: “When I first saw the video, I was mortified.” “The behavior of the trusted adults in the room was appalling in its complete lack of morality. The principal would laugh and then pull out his phone to record or take pictures of the events, which made me even angrier.
She said that instead of standing up for our kids and stopping the game, he seemed to be taking full advantage of it.
The viral video claimed to show DHMS Principal Casey Grant releasing a statement saying, “On behalf of Desert Hills Middle School, I would like to apologize for the action that took place at our recent assembly. I accept responsibility for things that happen. in my building as a principle of construction, and I am aware of the effects this circumstance has had on our school community. Because I care deeply about the safety of our children and our employees, I will ensure that all future events comply with District policy and the I sincerely regret both the occurrence of this event and the damages that it caused to the district of Desert Hills.
In a letter to parents, District Superintendent Dr. Traci Pierce also said the activity did not meet the high expectations set out in district policy for our staff members. The district is currently looking into the matter as the substance of a video posted on social media is quite disturbing.
She promised ‘corrective action’ was being taken and said ‘this activity does not have district approval and will never be repeated in the future’ but did not go into detail due of “confidentiality regarding personnel matters”.