HAZARD, Ky. (WHDH) — A school district issued an apology after photos circulated online that appeared to show students at Hazard High School in Kentucky giving faculty and staff members lap dances during homecoming festivities.
Pictures posted to the Hazard High School Athletics Facebook page, which has since been taken down, allegedly showed students in underwear giving lap dances to faculty and staff members, while additional photos appeared to show students and staff spanking or paddling each other, WLEX reported.
Hazard Independent School District Superintendent Sondra Combs wrote in a letter to the community that she became aware of concerns raised by the pictures late Tuesday evening and initiated an investigation into the incident the following morning.
She says the activities were part of homecoming festivities and were driven by the students.
“We strive to foster creativity in our students, but unfortunately, this time it was carried too far,” Combs wrote. “Spirit Week at Hazard High School has a long and celebrated tradition. Homecoming activities were planned as a celebration for students, staff, and the school community. All were intended to be fun and good-natured however, the activities did not play out as intended.”
Combs went on to say that appropriate disciplinary action has been taken following the investigation and that moving forward, a student activity committee will be developed to review all student-led activities.
“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.
Training is also being held with staff members to make sure this does not happen again, Combs continued.
“At the end of the day, the light-hearted activity simply got out of hand, and for that, we apologize,” she added. “In the future, we will strive to keep the lighthearted, fun nature of school activities without the inappropriate behavior.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)