Current:Home > ContactVideo shows California principal's suggestive pep rally dancing. Now he's on leave. -Visionary Growth Labs
Video shows California principal's suggestive pep rally dancing. Now he's on leave.
View
Date:2025-04-17 23:25:18
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! (379)
Related
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Want a balanced federal budget? It'll cost you.
- Meta allows Donald Trump back on Facebook and Instagram
- Kelly Osbourne Slams F--king T--t Prince Harry
- Sam Taylor
- The Essential Advocate, Philippe Sands Makes the Case for a New International Crime Called Ecocide
- Farmers Insurance pulls out of Florida, affecting 100,000 policies
- X Factor's Tom Mann Honors Late Fiancée One Year After She Died on Their Wedding Day
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- A big bank's big mistake, explained
Ranking
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- Can Arctic Animals Keep Up With Climate Change? Scientists are Trying to Find Out
- UN Report: Despite Falling Energy Demand, Governments Set on Increasing Fossil Fuel Production
- Maryland Thought Deregulating Utilities Would Lower Rates. It’s Cost the State’s Residents Hundreds of Millions of Dollars.
- All That You Wanted to Know About She’s All That
- A robot was scheduled to argue in court, then came the jail threats
- Can bots discriminate? It's a big question as companies use AI for hiring
- Warming Trends: Penguins in Trouble, More About the Dead Zone and Does Your Building Hold Climate Secrets?
Recommendation
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
Two U.S. Oil Companies Join Their European Counterparts in Making Net-Zero Pledges
Tesla's profits soared to a record – but challenges are mounting
Black men have lowest melanoma survival rate compared to other races, study finds
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Maui Has Begun the Process of Managed Retreat. It Wants Big Oil to Pay the Cost of Sea Level Rise.
See How Gwyneth Paltrow Wished Ex Chris Martin a Happy Father’s Day
After Hurricane Harvey, a Heated Debate Over Flood Control Funds in Texas’ Harris County