Ripon High Cheerleaders Show Their Spirit
They Also Show Their Underwear, Which Gets Them in Trouble
Six California high-school cheerleaders who flashed their bloomers during a halftime performance were suspended last week. But not for showing their underwear: According to school officials, they were suspended for not telling their coaches they were going to show their underwear -- and then for refusing to leave the stadium after their routine. As of last night that suspension was sustained by the school district according to an internal document obtained by washingtonpost.com.
On Nov. 9, the cheerleading squad at Ripon High School in California's Central Valley put on its now-infamous "back-door" performance of Britney Spears' "Hit Me Baby One More Time" during the Ripon Indians' final football game of the season. At the song's climax, the girls bent over and pulled up their skirts, exposing white bloomers on which "Indians No. 1!" was spelled out.
And while the fans went wild, not everyone was saying "Oooh, baby, baby!" The girls were suspended last Tuesday and Wednesday.
The coaches told the girls that they had not gotten their dance approved and that as a result they were dismissed from the stadium. Instead, the cheerleaders continued dancing on the side of the field.
School officials would not comment on the case specifically, but District Superintendent Leo Zuber said there was "more to the story" than just girls being suspended for exposing their shorts. Defiance, he said, is the most common reason for suspension. If a student "refuses to bring a textbook to class," he said -- or, presumably, refuses to leave a football field after being told to -- then he or she is being defiant.
The girls admit that they were defiant. But does the punishment fit the crime? On the one hand, schools need to maintain discipline by applying the rules consistently. On the other, this is the kind of officiousness that drives public education's main customers -- parents and students -- crazy.
Call me cynical, but perhaps a mindless bureaucracy is just what students need to experience. After all, they'll have to deal with a lot of them after graduation. One could even make the argument that schools would be derelict if they didn't expose students to some mindless bureaucracy.
When they butt heads with it again, and they will, the "Ripon Six" at least will know what they are up against. And as pessimistic as that may sound, it is still up to these cheerleaders and their parents to decide whether this experience inspires within them a spirit of change -- or merely breaks their spirits.
By Emil Steiner | November 21, 2007; 11:00 AM ET | Category: OFF/beat Politics
Posted by: Ulla | November 21, 2007 12:01 PM
stupid ridiculous and fascist!
Posted by: | November 21, 2007 12:08 PM
Our high school Pom Pom Squad spells out Happy Holidays every year this way, I thought us Midwesterners were the prudes and california the liberals.
Posted by: TJ | November 21, 2007 1:45 PM
There is more to the story then the routine. The 8 cheerleaders voilated the rules on the routine, big deal. that sould have been the end of it and voice there concerns the proper way, but 6 of them had to take it to another level by challenging the authority of the VP. Note that the 2 that respected authority though not agreeing with it were not suspended. Quit crying like spoiled little kids, take responsibility for your actions. There's more rules down the road that you won't like but you learn to live with.
Posted by: | November 21, 2007 1:58 PM
The school is just like cops. When students question its authority they start cracking skulls. Truly a disturbing state of affairs. If you can afford to send your kids to private school do it!
Posted by: Seth | November 21, 2007 1:59 PM
The school did the right thing here. The girls intentionally wanted to cause problems. I know they may have seeemed strict but rules are rules. They clearly knew they broke them. The appologized, but the damage was done. Its easy to critisize. I stand up for the school
Posted by: | November 21, 2007 4:47 PM
I'm reminded of what Super Nintendo Chalmers once said about school uniforms: "These drab student coverings have created the perfect distraction-free environment, thus preparing the children for permanent positions in tomorrow's mills and processing facilities."
Tell me this isn't happening in reality! Has America become so enamored of its bureaucracy that we need to make it a mandatory part of public school curriculem?
Posted by: wavy gravy | November 22, 2007 2:40 PM
Clearly those responding to this blog do not have the facts. The Cheerleaders were suspended for "defiance of authority". AFTER the routine they would not do as they were told and basically told the vice principal to "sit and spin" but in the most crude way we can imagine. One of the fathers had to be reminded that his behavior may get him escorted off the premises! The cheerleaders and their parents obviously believe that the world revolves around them. Wanna know how these kids will turn out as adults? I will have the pleasure of knowing the results and I already know that they will not be for the better unless there is a whole lot of growing up taking place!
Posted by: Susana | November 27, 2007 11:57 PM
Let me add one thing. It is obvious to me that the writer of this article cares not about the facts, but more about stirring up some mindless readers with misinformation and embelishment with his own "interpretation".
Posted by: Susana | November 27, 2007 11:59 PM
I am a student at Ripon High School and saw the preformance. Believe me, this article is the most accurate that I have seen so far. However, the fact that this incident has been blown so far out of proportion is annoying. The fact that anyone that doesn't live in Ripon is reading this proves that. It really wasn't that big of a deal. Regardless of whether the girls should have been told to leave the football game or not, they were warned of the concequences if they didn't. By staying they decided to accept the concequences and deserve their suspension. That's all there is to it. Get over it! Eight girls were involved in the routine,and two of them did what they were told and didn't even get suspended. It annoys me that Ripon High gets a bad reputation because of the actions of less than one percent of the student body. Back to my homework...
Posted by: Ryan | November 30, 2007 2:23 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
This is absurdity at its worst. Clearly the school is on some sort of power trip. The girls did nothing wrong and they get suspended for 2 days.