Huron High Lacrosse Team Suspended for Prom Proposal
When Is Mooning in the Name of Love Acceptable?
The delicate balance of romance, spontaneity and male teen angst took a bad turn in Huron, Mich., this week after 13 lacrosse players were suspended for painting a prom invitation on their backsides.
Kristoff Wennersten wanted to do something "really special" to ask his girlfriend, Carolyn Campbell, to the prom. So he reportedly convinced 12 of his teammates to write "Will You Go to the Prom With Me? Yes or No?" on their posteriors while mooning Campbell at a soccer game.
Campbell found the proposal "cute" (she said yes). School officials, however, were not as enthused. All 13 players were suspended for a day of school and an undetermined number of games, and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service.
"It disrespects women, and that's the clear message we need to have the students understand -- what may be fun to them isn't necessarily fun to everyone else," athletic director Dottie Davis was quoted as saying.
Campbell, for her part, said she was not offended and that she "didn't think it would become this big of a deal." And since the story has gone national, many from Huron High have spoken out about their faculty overreacting. Others admit that, under the circumstances the school had to do something. What do you think?
Was the punishment appropriate?
Note: This is an unscientific survey of washingtonpost.com readers.
By Emil Steiner | May 1, 2008; 7:45 AM ET | Category: OFF/beat
Posted by: SoMD | May 1, 2008 8:52 AM
Whats so open minded about a bunch of lacrosse players mooning a girl. Thats how the whole Duke rape thing started. "Oh we're just having fun. Its all good cause we're lacrosse players and can get away with everything."
The school did the right thing standing up to this behavior before it got out of hand. They had an obligation to protect that girl even if she doesn't know she needs it. Kudos for taking the high road.
Posted by: Jim Reeves | May 1, 2008 12:05 PM
The line the school has drawn is arbitrary but necessary too. If the guys wrote the message on their chests it would have been fine. If they wrote it on their penises even worse. In America bareassedness is out of bounds for better or worse. The sooner the kids learn this the better.
Posted by: Cranky | May 1, 2008 1:47 PM
In my day we would get our butts tattooed so the message would last forever. Boys today need to learn about committment
Posted by: lol | May 2, 2008 1:58 AM
Mr. Reeves,
Check your facts. The "whole Duke rape thing", as you call it, never happened. All charges dropped against the players and the new DA is considering charges against the dancer for making false allegations.
Posted by: SoMD | May 2, 2008 8:04 AM
To SoMD, you are right, but it is that same stinking herd mentality that I was alluding to. Those boys get together and one thinks its ok so they all think its ok and the next thing you know a rape is ok. And just because the Duke team didn't rape this time, we all know they were capable of it.
Posted by: Jim Reeves | May 2, 2008 9:37 AM
I'd like to make a correction:
It's Huron High School in ANN ARBOR. There's more than one high school in Ann Arbor, which is why there isn't an Ann Arbor High School
Posted by: Michigander | May 2, 2008 8:38 PM
In my opinion the punishment did not go far enough. These animals committed an act of sexual assault. They exposed themselves and should be arrested.
Posted by: Merideth, Michigan | May 6, 2008 12:10 PM
The comments to this entry are closed.
Campbell said "Yes" by walking up to the "Yes" backside and tapping him on the back.
Typical story all aroung though - the students, including the girl, thought it was no big deal if not hilarious.
The athletic director (a Ms. Dottie Davis) was quoted as saying it was disrespectful to women.
The real story: Personal bias by the adult leaders always wins over open-minded students.