A high school in Washington state has been labeled “disgusting” after a bizarre licking match between students and staff was held.
Shocking footage showed the bizarre contest at Desert Hills Middle School in Kennewick, Washington, where schoolchildren and their adult teachers had to simultaneously lick marshmallow cream on opposite sides of a Plexiglas window.
Startled students, some of whom recorded the game and showed it to their parents, can be heard screaming “Ew,” “Disgusting,” and “That’s so gross” in the video.
After the disturbing footage spread, outraged parents have spoken at the high school, with many questioning how the disturbing contest could continue.
Shocking footage captured the bizarre game, in which marshmallow cream was placed on opposite sides of Plexiglas before schoolchildren and teachers licked it off
The students can be heard in disturbing video of the competition screaming that the game was ‘gross’ and ‘disgusting’
The bizarre game was presented as part of a pep rally and fundraiser held before the students left for spring break.
Two Plexiglas panes containing different kinds of marshmallow cream were placed in the middle of the school’s gymnasium before teams of students and teachers sprinted towards each other and licked the cream off the glass.
During the competition, the adult teachers and underage students often licked their respective sides of the glass at the same time.
“Who thought this was a good idea?” shouted one of the students, and many seemed extremely uncomfortable at the alarming game.
Footage of the activity sparked anger from parents after it was shared online, with mother Sandie Salisbury taking to social media to question how ‘this room full of adults did nothing to prevent this’.
“My kid came home from school on the last day before spring break and said they had a really weird meeting that day,” she continued.
He shared it briefly — but I had no idea and couldn’t even imagine how incredibly inappropriate this really was. HOW HOW HOW did this happen.’
The mother added that school activities often have to go through several levels of permission before continuing, as she felt the play should have been prevented long before it should have finally been stopped “in the moment.”
“I am beyond disappointed with this,” she added.
Parents have also claimed that one of the teachers licking the glass is a deputy principal, while the school’s principal, Casey Gant, filmed the game himself.
Sandie Salisbury, who says she is a mother at the school, felt she could ‘never imagine how incredibly inappropriate’ the school’s activities could be
The bizarre pep rally was held at Desert Hills Middle School in Kennewick, Washington
Salisbury was joined in her horror by several other parents, with a student’s mother filming the event KTTH she was “amazed” that the game was not stopped.
“When I first saw the video, I was shocked,” the mother added. The sheer lack of judgment was horrifying due to the behavior of the trusted adults in the room.
“What upset me even more was when I saw the director laughing and then pulling out his phone to video tape or take pictures of the event.
“He seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed the game, rather than protecting our kids and stopping the game.”
Megan Sa, whose daughter filmed the game and later mailed it to her, added Fox news that she immediately emailed school officials demanding an explanation.
The mother said she too was “baffled” by the video, which included an incident where a grown adult held a child’s head against the plexiglass while he licked the other side.
She said she was “most disturbed” by a security guard, who she said “looked like he was sensuously licking the marshmallow off the Plexiglas.”
After initially calling other parents to wonder if she might have been overreacting in her outrage, Sa said she was met with the same disgust as many wondered, “How did the adults in the room let this happen?”
“There were at least five adults in the room and they just kept participating,” she said, claiming teachers didn’t tell students what the game was until they signed up.
“If this is such a harmless and not ill-intentioned game, why on earth didn’t you share with the students what the game was going to be and what the basic rules were?”
Following the opposition to the game, the school’s superintendent, Dr. Traci Pierce, sent a letter to the families of the school.
“This activity does not reflect the high standards we hold for our employees, as outlined in district policies,” she wrote. “The content of a video shared on social media is very worrying and the situation is currently being investigated by the district.”
The school’s superintendent, Dr Traci Pierce, admitted the game was ‘deeply disturbing’ but insisted there was ‘zero evidence’ that it was groomed
Desert Hills Middle School principal Casey Gant also apologized for the event in a letter to outraged parents
Pierce added that school officials would “take appropriate action to address the situation” after admitting that many parents had complained.
However, in a follow-up email, Pierce allegedly insisted that while “there is no doubt about the appropriateness of the activity,” it was “clear that the intent of the activity was harmless and not ill-intentioned.”
The video led many to claim it could be an example of ‘grooming’, but Pierce countered those claims, continuing: ‘There is no evidence to suggest or support that this was in any way ‘grooming’ activity from the side of organizers or participants. .
“That said, the fact that the activity was planned, took place, and was not stopped demonstrates a lack of common sense and judgment, and the activity is inconsistent with the district’s expectations.”
Desert Hills Middle School principal Casey Gant also apologized for the incident in a letter to parents, saying: “As principal of the building, I take responsibility for the events taking place at my school and I recognize the impact that this situation in our school. community.
“I am committed to the safety of our students and staff and will ensure that all future activities meet the highest professional standards and comply with district policies,” he added.
“Again, I apologize that this incident occurred and for the negativity brought to the Desert Hills community.”