Stafford Co. Virginia Student, 14, Arrested, For Dressing Like A Banana!

I heard this story yesterday and was completely outraged!

All self-taught, Bryan plays the piano by ear, he writes and sings Rap music, shoots and produces his own videos, and creates compelling photographs, often using himself as the subject. But his creativity and impulsiveness got him in big trouble last Friday at his school, Colonial Forge High School.

"The mascot is an eagle, but it wasn't there. No mascot, no fun." So he decided to be the new mascot: Banana Man. He put on his banana costume and ran out on the football field at Colonial Forge High School during halftime, just after the band finished. On YouTube videos, you can hear students cheering on the Banana Man. They loved it. But the principal, Dr. Karen Spillman, did not.

wusa9.com...


The police escorted this boy off the field, HANDCUFFED him, and put him in the back of a squad car!
I am truly surprised they didn't tase him.

Bryan has been suspended for 10 days and is facing expulsion from school!

What is wrong with this picture? This is not only ridiculous, but a gross abuse of power. Honestly, public education has sunk to a new low. Their idea of discipline or consequence is to let the courts deal with it.
Most are too lazy to get up off their ass and help kids learn from their mistakes.

To show you how misguided the system is, I will share an incident that happened at my daughter's middle school.
An eighth grade student brought a knife to school, took it out in the lunch room and began cutting himself.
Now, you might be thinking something like a pocket knife? Oh No! This was a hunting knife with an 8 inch blade!!

Was he arrested? No! His mother was called, met with the principal and the kid was given a 3 day suspension!!!

Again, I ask you what is wrong with this picture?

As always, thanks for your time.

Pax

I wish I could say something, but the only thing I can come up with is to sigh, close my eyes, bow my head and shake it.

And people scoff at me when I tell them my kids are home-schooled.

reply to post by bastet11


Ten to fifteen years ago I would have scoffed too. I always believed the sometimes limited social interaction of homeschooling was the biggest downside of homeschooling which kept me from it. Today, if I had to do all over again, I would have had my kids homeschooled. The current status of the education and its predominately negative atmosphere by far outweighs any of the negatives of homeschooling.

reply to post by paxnatus


I am not sure how this is an issue. I had a buddy many many years ago do something similar at our HS Homecoming game - the cops bodyslammed the guy on the turf before draggin him away - he was suspended for 5 days at the time...what is the issue again? We are now allowing trespass 'cause he was in a cute banana costume? Good way to learn the law.

CJ

Originally posted by bastet11
And people scoff at me when I tell them my kids are home-schooled.

That comment makes no sense at all - are they also Home-life experienced?

CJ

Originally posted by ColoradoJens
reply to post by paxnatus

 

I am not sure how this is an issue. I had a buddy many many years ago do something similar at our HS Homecoming game - the cops bodyslammed the guy on the turf before draggin him away - he was suspended for 5 days at the time...what is the issue again? We are now allowing trespass 'cause he was in a cute banana costume? Good way to learn the law.

CJ

Please explain to me what law he broke?? He dressed up like a banana for a football game?

The issues is, this entire incident is a gross abuse of power!!

reply to post by ColoradoJens


Lets see, we are at a highschool football game. Where does that fit into things? It really does not, it is just a silly highschool game that at the end of the day does not have any real significance. The kid runs out onto the field at halftime in a banana costume. Where does this fit into things? It does not, just a kid having some fun and entertaining the student body and spectators. At the end of the day what was the result? Quite simply, another form of oppression. And we wonder what is wrong with kids now a days, they can never let off a little steam in a positive manner. What should he have done, went and got some cigarettes, alcohol and weed and went around vandalizing? As I see it, oppressing this sort of positive behavior only forces kids to act out in different ways and usually more destructive. Let the kids be kids.

This principal would have received the most vile and pointed letter and a follow up in person from me had my child been the victim here. I would swear to her god, by the time I was done with her she would be in tears and could not quit her job fast enough.

Originally posted by paxnatus

Originally posted by ColoradoJens
reply to post by paxnatus

 

I am not sure how this is an issue. I had a buddy many many years ago do something similar at our HS Homecoming game - the cops bodyslammed the guy on the turf before draggin him away - he was suspended for 5 days at the time...what is the issue again? We are now allowing trespass 'cause he was in a cute banana costume? Good way to learn the law.

CJ

Please explain to me what law he broke?? He dressed up like a banana for a football game?

The issues is, this entire incident is a gross abuse of power!!

Does trespass sound familiar? Sounds like he did something he shouldn't have - should we allow whoever wants to run on the field to do so? Ever hear of liability laws?

CJ

reply to post by ColoradoJens


You must be an attorney.

Just what we need, more ambulance chasers running around.

reply to post by Skewed


Ah, did anyone here ever go to highschool? This was the same in 1975 as it is today...
Ever hear of Columbine? Did you know 18 year olds can legally kill people in the army?
How about getting sued when the kid breaks his arm when he falls on the field (how could you let my son on that field!)
It's called reality. Grow up. The kid deserves to be suspended.

CJ

Originally posted by Skewed
reply to post by ColoradoJens

 

You must be an attorney.

Just what we need, more ambulance chasers running around.

Nope. Just someone who thinks about it.

CJ

reply to post by ColoradoJens


Ahh, living in fear. That is ok, I suppose someone has to do it.

BTW: One of my kids has been injured at school, broke his arm actually. Kids will be kids, and falling off the monkey bars is not the schools fault and I would never sue over something like that.

They are worried about a kid running around on a football field in a costume breaking a bone, but yet there is no concern of the football players being injured. HAHA, now that is funny.

How asinine. It is a kid ina banana suit. At his own school. At half-time. Jeez people. Give him a detention and call it a day.

We had kids that made it a yearly habit to streak at homecoming, right through the football field, during half-time, right through the band. This is when I was in high school in the mid to late nineties. Guess what the response was? Some chuckles and a detention.

Not the end of the world.

Originally posted by Skewed
reply to post by ColoradoJens

 

Ahh, living in fear. That is ok, I suppose someone has to do it.

BTW: One of my kids has been injured at school, broke his arm actually. Kids will be kids, and falling off the monkey bars is not the schools fault and I would never sue over something like that.

They are worried about a kid running around on a football field in a costume breaking a bone, but yet there is no concern of the football players being injured. HAHA, now that is funny.

edit on 23-9-2011 by Skewed because: (no reason given)

Who lives in fear? Your examples show you are not thinking clearly. Kids will be kids playing on the playground yes. You agree that the school is not liable for injuries that occur in everyday accidents.

Would you think it neet if the school got sued and had to stop it's football program to pay some moron because THEY broke the law? Kiss off music and art too - NOW are you happy it was "just a banana?" Now YOUR children suffer because of the actions of one idiot?

Lastly, I may be wrong on this but I think football players have helmets, shoulder and knee pads...might kinda help the injury thing...

CJ

Originally posted by Redwookieaz
How asinine. It is a kid ina banana suit. At his own school. At half-time. Jeez people. Give him a detention and call it a day.

We had kids that made it a yearly habit to streak at homecoming, right through the football field, during half-time, right through the band. This is when I was in high school in the mid to late nineties. Guess what the response was? Some chuckles and a detention.

Not the end of the world.

I could not agree with you more - it is asinine; that said, it is the world we live in - governed by lawsuits and laws that are enforced - imho, a suspension is right on.

CJ

reply to post by ColoradoJens



What if the real mascot was there and got injured. What difference does it make whether it was a banana or an eagle.

I am not saying the kid should not have received some discipline but a 10 day suspension is a bit overboard.

Give it a little more time and the results will be in on how effective the equipment is on protecting the football players. There have been some new issues discovered recently about football injuries.

You don't mess with school mascots or symbols or couches. I was a teacher for years and quite not with the program, I tried making odd shaped kids retain their identity, you know, not be like all the rest of the cookie cutter output. In my class one week, my students made a really nice paper mache' turkey, it was really cool.

Now the Friday game came up and being the eagles as they called our school, I decided to add to the idiocy and put my new turkey up along with the eagle. No, I was not arrested, but then I never attended the games, so I only got reports.

What happened was, the couch and players got so upset they were crying and burned my poor turkey in the parking lot. In the end, I did save some students from being turned into fodder however and am damn proud of it, but you take your life in hand if you mess with couches, some of the most incompetent humans made. Don't bother to attack, I'm out of here. smile

Originally posted by Skewed
reply to post by ColoradoJens

 

What if the real mascot was there and got injured. What difference does it make whether it was a banana or an eagle.

I am not saying the kid should not have received some discipline but a 10 day suspension is a bit overboard.

The costume matters none - it was WHO was in the costume...can we agree on something? I think maybe a 3-5 day sit down (in school suspension) is ok. I do agree with you in your sentiment - I guess my job was to play devil's advocate this am - didn't mean any harm and only my opinions, which, are subject to change...
I was a kid who did silly, over all harmless stuff too...

CJ