Video shows a Californian school principal’s lewd motivational dance
Robert Nunes, the principal of Buhach Colony High School in Atwater, was placed on leave after his lewd dance with the school mascot surfaced on Facebook, which some parents deemed inappropriate.
Californian school principal recreates lap dance with school mascot
According to local reports, a high school principal was placed on leave after reenacting a lap dance with the school’s mascot.
The principal of a California high school was placed on leave after a parent caught wind of a lewd dance at a pep rally.
Ryan Attebery shared on Facebook on Saturday a 48-second clip of a back-to-school rally held at Buhach Colony High School in Atwater, about 120 miles southeast of San Francisco.
Attebery, whose son attends Buhach School, told NBC affiliate KSEE-TV that he took the video from his son’s Instagram account and decided to repost it on his social media account. He captioned the video, “Am I a square or was that a weird (expletive) for a principal?”
The video shows someone dressed as the school mascot Thor dancing suggestively in front of the school’s principal, Robert Nunes, who is sitting on a chair. At one point, Nunes stands up and dances suggestively while Thor sits on the chair. At one point, Nunes says into the microphone, “What happens in Buhach stays in Buhach!” as the students cheer loudly.
The video has sparked mixed reactions online, with some defending Nunes and others calling the video inappropriate.
Attebery’s video had been viewed over 190,000 times by Friday evening.
Although Attebery was told that students helped coordinate the event, he believes “the fact that there were no warning signs is probably a warning sign,” he told the station, calling the video “weird.”
“Ultimately, I would feel super guilty if something came out in five years and I could have said something,” he told the broadcaster, adding that parents had a right to know.
Some called the sketch “weird,” others “school spirit”
Attebery wasn’t the only one who found the video “weird.” Several people expressed a similar opinion in the comments.
“It’s very odd. I’m pretty sure a Vegas theme is inappropriate for a high school event,” wrote Rosemarie Hertgen-Young. “I mean gambling, strippers, lap dances, etc. What was he thinking? Something had to go wrong.”
Tiffany Thorpe agreed with Attebery, calling the sketch “disturbing” and “very suggestive.”
“Weird and inappropriate. Who cares if the kids thought it was funny or even planned it. These are literally CHILDREN who are incapable of making adult decisions,” Katelyn Boose wrote. “The adults should have spoken up when something like this was mentioned in the planning process and said ‘No way, this is inappropriate.'”
Some thought Nunes was just trying to show “school spirit.”
“The kids are cheering and laughing!! School spirit!” wrote Patty Klingerman. “He is being playful with the kids!! To anyone involved in his suspension…Shame on you!! Live your life and let your kids be kids.”
Alexandria Juntilla wrote that she could understand why people thought it was inappropriate, “but honestly I think people should relax… I remember when I was in high school, and the dance team was a lot riskier than that.”
Some others defended Nunes, saying they knew him personally and that he was well-liked by the school community.
“This man is very respected and loved by everyone in his community,” wrote Justin Rogers. “Teachers love him, students love him, and colleagues love him. Stop acting like he has bad intentions.”
School district: “Comprehensive reviews” underway
According to a statement from the Merced Union High School District, Nunes has been on leave since Monday, two days after Attebery reposted the video. The move to place Nunes on leave was the direct result of the documented “incident.”
“This decision is part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all students and staff,” the Merced Union High School District said.
A “comprehensive review” of the situation is underway. According to Merced Union, Nunes will not participate in any school-related tasks or activities for the remainder of the investigation.
A district employee and an assistant principal have been assigned to run the school in the interim to “ensure continuity of leadership and support for our students and staff.”
“MUHSD will provide updates as needed while maintaining the confidentiality of the investigation process.”
USA TODAY has reached out to Buhach Colony High School for comment.
