The Jackson Public School District appealed the suspension of the Forest High School band. A volcano of controversy erupted when members of the Forest Hill band performed a skit where several students dressed in scrubs pointed replicas of AK-47s at other students dressed as SWAT team members during the halftime performance at Brookhaven High School on October 5. The skit was based on a scene in the 2002 movie, John Q. The performance took place a week after two police officers were murdered in Brookhaven. The Mississippi High School Activities Association suspended the band from all MHSAA activities for the remainder of the school year and fined the school $2,500.
Numerous leaders such as Governor Phil Bryant and Department of Public Safety Commissioner Marshall Fisher strongly condemned the performance. Needless to say, comments posted on social media were much more harsh. JPS suspended the band director and initiated an investigation. Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba apologized to the Mayor of Brookhaven for the incident. Several community leaders in Jackson as well as parents of the band members publicly protested the sanctions.
JPS submitted the appeal to MHSAA on October 14. The appeal is posted below and was obtained through a public records request.
The appeal states the band arrived at the game late and didn't hear the announcement about the two slain police officers that took place before the game. The band used the halftime show as a rehearsal for the skit that would be performed the next day at a band competition in Copiah County. The Brookhaven halftime show was the first time the skit was performed with toy weapons. The students learned about the tragedy after the performance was over. The kids asked their teachers if they needed to apologize when they learned about the killings.
JPS argued the suspension unfairly punished students who were following the direction of the band director:
While the District agrees that the band director's decision to perform a skit that involved pointing toy weapons at law enforcement officers was inappropriate, the District disagrees with the penalty as it relates to students because the penalty unnecessarily harshly punishes the band students who were simply following the instructions and directions of their band director. Just like in the military, the JROTC, or any organization, it is insubordination for followers to refuse to do what the leader or supervisor says. The band students did exactly what the District and its stakeholders have relentlessly tried to get all students to do and that is to obey their leaders. The students are not responsible, and should not be punished, for the actions of their leader. Neither should the students be held responsible for obeying their leader's instructions.
while making the expected argument for artistic license:
The skit, loosely based on the movie John Q, was not intended to offend or hurt. Rather, the students understood their performance, which was a prelude to band competition the next day, as a portrayal of a parent's love and loyalty towards a child, which is a wholesome theme. In the skit, the students who posed as doctors and nurses held the guns on the law enforcement officers only to prevent them from harming John who was trying to obtain a heart for his child. Upon information and belief, the skit depicts the students throwing the guns down once they see that the officers would not harm John.The appeal defends the students and argues it is not fair to punish the students for the actions of the band director. Former Band Director Demitri Jones said he was terminated last week by JPS.
20 comments:
this isn't artistic expression, this was a racially motivated hit job on a community that was grieving after 2 officers were slain by a violent black murderer. This was a middle finger to the families and law abiding citizens by a bunch of little racist bastards and a band director that I hope never finds work again.
So, JPS is paying an attorney to appeal this. How much more of this can the few RESPONSIBLE people who still reside in Jackson take? P.S. Before responding to this, remember I said RESPONSIBLE people!!! Please pay your water bills because this attorney needs to get paid.
I note that the JPS letterhead incorporates the Pan-African colors of red, gold, and green. Welcome to The Nation of Jackson.
Once again, the suspebsion of the band will not affect students' ability to get band scholarships. There are no "scouts" out evaluating marching performances on Friday nights. Band scholarships are typically based on individual auditions.
JPS, and "community leders" are lying, but that is par for the course. Why be truthful when you can paint a false narrative?
The appeal states the band arrived at the game late and didn't hear the announcement about the two slain police officers that took place before the game. The band used the halftime show as a rehearsal for the skit that would be performed the next day at a band competition in Copiah County. The Brookhaven halftime show was the first time the skit was performed with toy weapons. The students learned about the tragedy after the performance was over. The kids asked their teachers if they needed to apologize when they learned about the killings.
I cal B.S.
Seems that this "skit" would have been highly inappropriate when performed at any school. Granted, the tragedy in Brookhaven just makes it that much worse, but I would be horrified to see high school kids with toy guns at any half-time show, anywhere or anytime. This was just poor judgement from the start.
This is racially motivated. These poor children were only trying to put on a good show. I long for my high school days when I went to a grieving town and pointed my AK's at police officers. Oh, school days.
I'd appeal it, too because I don't blame the students for this fiasco. They are school children who are being indoctrinated in racism by their teachers. This should be used as the quintessential teaching moment for these kids to learn why what they did was wrong.
Good riddance to the band director.
So tired of them saying that this is a scene from the John Q movie. Show me this scene. It was a blatant attempt by a band director to spread his views among his students and I still say that it's hard to believe all the school personnel and parents who knew about this skit can claim that they had not heard about the police killings in Brookhaven. I'm sure Forest Hill band parents were already seated in the stadium before the ceremony took place and could have gone to the principal or band director and said "don't do the skit". Hatred like this has no place in a classroom. You perform the act and you suffer the consequences.
If the students, parents, administration, and staff are so socially tone deaf and ignorant of current local events to the point that they did not hear of the deaths of the law enforcement officers until after halftime they need to be in class learning to be competent human beings instead of playing instruments anyway.
When was the last time John Q was referenced in a typical conversation? I don't see how any audience would recognize this. The movie didn't even do that well in the early 2000's. Something stinks here, I think he just wanted an excuse to have his all-too-eager students point guns at officers.
Let's see what kind of music these students have on their spotify or ipods. I wouldn't be shocked to see songs like "F the Police"
The band director remembers scenes from a radical 2002 movie, but does not know the daily news, read newspapers, what tv news, or remember the prayers for the deceased police officers before the performance an hour earlier.
Of course the band director thought he would go to Brookhaven and show the world what his people think of police officers, enrage the community there and come back to Jackson a hero and keep his job, which was never in jeopardy. The kids thought it was funny to see all those white people in Brookhaven so upset because everybody knows there are no black people in Brookhaven, much less police officers. I'm sure they laughed all the way back to Jackson. In fact the whole JPS has got to be loving this whole thing...
This skit just projects how 95% of these future JPS failures are going to turn out...
Either dead in the morgue, in prison or a Micky D's fry cook!
5:58 Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy don't it?
Leave it to JPS to refer to assault rifles as part of a "wholesome" act.
Of course, these students put together an entire routine in the week after the police shootings to stick it to Brookhaven. . . Meanwhile crickets about the actual cop killer.
Almost every night on wlbt 10:00 news this comes up but they only show the picture of the band on the field ,not this picture of the Scholars shown here.I can only wonder if wlbt doesn't want to be called a racist by Kennuff Stokes?
Ah well -- my enthusiasm for even a tiny bit of progress in JPS has now been dashed. Better Together? Nope -- can't even expect high-school students to know when something smells bad. Forget the two heroes (and I never will) who were killed in Brokkhaven -- what thinking teenage student or adult educator in today's world would think that nothing is wrong with a school-sponsored public display simulating armed weapon assault on other civilians or the police?
KF -- on a different but distantly related note, is there any update on the JPS school bond activities? Thanks for your blog!
I love it when I hear white people scream racism. What a novelty! White people couldn't handle five months of the crap that black people put up with every day. Every time a white person feels uncomfortable around a black person, they call the police. FYI, the police are for emergencies; not because you feel uncomfortable around black people.
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