Current:Home > reviewsVideo shows California principal's suggestive pep rally dancing. Now he's on leave. -Zenith Profit Hub
Video shows California principal's suggestive pep rally dancing. Now he's on leave.
View
Date:2025-04-16 16:06:04
A California high school principal is on leave after a parent caught wind of a suggestive dance at a pep rally.
Ryan Attebery took to Facebook on Saturday to share a 48-second snippet of a back-to-school rally held at Buhach Colony High School in Atwater, about 120 miles southeast of San Francisco.
Attebery, who has a son that attends Buhach, told NBC affiliate KSEE-TV that he took the video from his son's Instagram account and decided to re-post it on his social media account, writing in the caption: "Am I a square or was this weird (expletive) for a principal to do?"
The video shows someone dressed as the school mascot, Thor, dancing suggestively in front of Principal Robert Nunes, who is seated in a chair. At some point Nunes gets up and dances suggestively while Thor is in the chair. At some point Nunes says into the microphone: "What happens in Buhach stays in Buhach!" as students loudly cheer.
The video has garnered a mixed response online, with some coming to Nunes' defense while others called the video inappropriate.
Attebery's video had been played over 190,000 times by Friday evening.
Even though Attebery was told that students helped coordinate the event, he felt that "the fact that there were no red flags probably is a red flag," he told the station, calling the video "weird."
“At the end of the day, I would feel super guilty if five years from now something came out and I could have said something," he told the station, saying parents had a right to know.
Some called the skit 'weird,' others call it 'school spirit'
Attebery wasn't the only one who felt "weird" about the video, with multiple people echoing a similar sentiment in the comments.
"It is very weird. I’m pretty sure a Vegas theme is not appropriate for a high school event," Rosemarie Hertgen-Young wrote. "I mean gambling, strippers, lap dances etc. What was he thinking? Something was bound to go wrong."
Tiffany Thorpe agreed with Attebery's opinion, calling the skit "disturbing" and "very suggestive."
"Weird and inappropriate. Who cares if the kids thought it was funny or even planned this. They are literally KIDS who don’t have the capacity to make adult decisions," Katelyn Boose wrote. "The adults should’ve spoke up when something like this was mentioned in the planning process and said no way, that’s inappropriate."
Some thought Nunes was just showing "school spirit."
"The kids are cheering and laughing!! School Spirit!" Patty Klingerman wrote. "He’s involved with the kids in a joking manner!! For those who had anything to do with his suspension ... Shame on you!! Get a life and let your children be children."
Alexandria Juntilla wrote that she understands people thinking it's inappropriate, "but honestly, I think people need to chill out ... I remember my high school experience and the dance team was far more risky than that."
A couple of others defended Nunes, saying they knew him personally and that he was beloved by the school community.
"This man is so widely respected and loved by everyone in his community," Justin Rogers wrote. "Teachers love him, students love him and co-workers love him. Stop making it out like he had bad intensions."
'Comprehensive reviews' underway, school district says
Nunes has been on administrative leave since Monday, two days after Attebery reposted the video, according to a statement from the Merced Union High School District. The move to place Nunes on leave was the direct result of the documented "incident."
"This decision comes as part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all students and staff," Merced Union High School District said.
A "comprehensive review" of the situation is underway. Nunes will not participate in any school-related responsibilities or activities for the remainder of the investigation, according to Merced Union.
A district staff member and an associate principal have been tapped to lead the school in the interim, to "ensure the continuity of leadership and support for our students and staff."
"MUHSD will provide updates as appropriate while respecting the confidentiality of the investigation process."
USA TODAY has reached out to Buhach Colony High School for comment.
veryGood! (88261)
Related
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- An EPA proposal to (almost) eliminate climate pollution from power plants
- Inside Clean Energy: Here’s a Cool New EV, but You Can’t Have It
- OceanGate Suspends All Explorations 2 Weeks After Titanic Submersible implosion
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Cardi B's Head-Turning Paris Fashion Week Looks Will Please You
- Does the U.S. have too many banks?
- Mexican Drought Spurs a South Texas Water Crisis
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Biden says debt ceiling deal 'very close.' Here's why it remains elusive
Ranking
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- US Firms Secure 19 Deals to Export Liquified Natural Gas, Driven in Part by the War in Ukraine
- Inside Clean Energy: Here Come the Battery Recyclers
- The debt ceiling deadline, German economy, and happy workers
- New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
- You’ll Roar Over Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom’s PDA Moments at Wimbledon Match
- Does the U.S. have too many banks?
- In Jacobabad, One of the Hottest Cities on the Planet, a Heat Wave Is Pushing the Limits of Human Livability
Recommendation
The Grammy nominee you need to hear: Esperanza Spalding
An African American Community in Florida Blocked Two Proposed Solar Farms. Then the Florida Legislature Stepped In.
Warming Trends: Bill Nye’s New Focus on Climate Change, Bottled Water as a Social Lens and the Coming End of Blacktop
Chernobyl Is Not the Only Nuclear Threat Russia’s Invasion Has Sparked in Ukraine
At site of suspected mass killings, Syrians recall horrors, hope for answers
CNN's town hall with Donald Trump takes on added stakes after verdict in Carroll case
The New York Times' Sulzberger warns reporters of 'blind spots and echo chambers'
Inside Clean Energy: Recycling Solar Panels Is a Big Challenge, but Here’s Some Recent Progress