SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A second member of the San Diego Unified School District Board of Education called Thursday for a review of punishment meted out to more than 30 Scripps Ranch High School students who appeared on video performing a suggestive dance routine.
Trustee Scott Barnett issued a statement through the district that called for a closed session discussion at the board's next regular meeting on May 14.
Parents and other students told local media outlets that the dancers and videographer were suspended for five days and could miss prom and might not be allowed to walk at graduation.
The video shows the students "twerking" while doing handstands, gyrating and shaking their hips in a sexually suggestive manner.
YouTube Twerking video:
The story on the suspensions has received national attention.
"The school board has not received a briefing yet and all I know is from media reports," Barnett said. "As a father of two teen-aged daughters (in a different high school in San Diego Unified) I take issues of proper conduct and discipline very seriously; at the same time I need to be satisfied that the consequences of these actions are reasonable and proportionate."
He declined to discuss specifics about individual students. The district has refused to comment on the suspensions.
Wednesday, Trustee Kevin Beiser also called for a review of the suspensions by the school board.
THIS IS A STORY UPDATE. For an earlier story, read below.
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Dozens of students at a San Diego high school have been suspended for making a suggestive "twerking" dance video.
U-T San Diego reports the students from Scripps Ranch High School might not be able to attend prom or walk during commencement ceremonies.
School board member Kevin Beiser says he was told that 31 students were suspended. Other reports say 33 students were suspended this week, including the student who shot the video.
The video was shot and edited on school property. It shows students doing the hip-shaking moves of twerking.
Seventeen-year-old Lyston McNear says he was suspended for coming up with the original idea for the video. He says it took months to create and nobody seemed offended.
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Information from: U-T San Diego
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.
