Mississippi high school band criticized for halftime performance featuring fake guns
A Mississippi high school marching band has sparked outrage with a halftime performance that depicted SWAT team members being held at gunpoint – one week after two police officers were killed in the line of duty in a nearby town.
Several members of the Forest Hill High School band were pictured supposedly reenacting a scene from a movie, while the rest of the band played at halftime of a game against Brookhaven High School:
Brookhaven was the city in which two officers were shot last week. The timing of the halftime performance led many to criticize the band, and prompted responses from local officials. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety said in a statement that it was “extremely disturbed.”
The Forest Hill band director has reportedly been placed on administrative leave while the school district investigates the matter.
School, government officials respond
Jackson Public Schools superintendent Errick L. Greene released a statement Saturday, in part to apologize, and in part to explain the performance:
“On behalf of the Jackson Public School (JPS) District, I want to offer my deep and sincere apologies for the performance by the Forest Hill High School band during Friday’s football half-time show in Brookhaven. Based loosely on the movie, “John Q,” the band’s performance depicted a hostage scene that included toy guns.
JPS has a great deal of respect and appreciation for our law enforcement partners. The band’s performance does not depict the values and people in our community, and was incredibly insensitive to the students, families, law enforcement officials and the entire Brookhaven community. For this we sincerely apologize to all, and we pledge to do better in the future.
We have taken some initial actions in response to this matter, and you have my commitment that we will investigate it fully and take additional appropriate action with respect to procedures and personnel.”
The mayor of Jackson, Miss., Chokwe Lumumba, released a statement as well:
“I offer my sincerest regrets to the Brookhaven community for the insensitivity that portrayed during the Friday evening halftime show. There is an active investigation into the circumstances that led to this performance. While I do not believe that there was a malice intent on behalf of the students that participated in this halftime show, I understand that we are ultimately not defined by the things that we set out to do, but rather how we respond to the things that actually do take place. It is the responsibility of adults to offer guidance to youth. Our students should have been instructed that this was neither the time or place for that performance.”
Mississippi governor Phil Bryant called the performance “unacceptable,” and tweeted that “someone should be held accountable.”
This is unacceptable in a civilized society. Someone should be held accountable. https://t.co/hq3hJnj4xA
— Phil Bryant (@PhilBryantMS) October 6, 2018
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Tom Brady throws 500th career TD in win vs. Colts
• LeBron sports Kaepernick shirt during NBA preseason
• Tim Brown: Braves understanding October’s cruelty
• Dan Wetzel: Underbelly of college hoops is being exposed
