Controversy Arises Over School Skit, Punishment : Education: Officials and parents are outraged at Newbury Park High seniors’ depiction of a hazing, with girls on leashes.

It started as a high school skit but turned into a hazing spectacle, with seniors smearing syrup and mustard over freshman girls and parading others--some wearing dog collars and leashes--in front of the entire student body.

The incident during a homecoming rally at Newbury Park High School in Thousand Oaks last month led to disciplinary action against 10 seniors, one of whom was suspended while others were stripped of their privileges as student leaders.

Now, some students complain that their sentences were too harsh, touching off a debate over what is proper punishment, what is appropriate behavior, and when a humorous incident crosses the line and becomes hazing.

“We felt we didn’t do anything too wrong,” said senior Isabel Reyes, 17, who went before the Conejo Valley school board recently to appeal for leniency. “The freshmen all volunteered--they knew exactly what was going to happen.”

But school officials and some parents said significant disciplinary action was warranted in the case because it depicted hazing and at times bordered on sexual harassment.

“I think the things that occurred were totally and completely out of line,” said Supt. Jerry C. Gross. “I thought it was an egregious circumstance.”

The Oct. 21 incident occurred during a school rally in front of about 1,200 students, teachers and administrators. It lasted less than 5 minutes.

A group of seniors--nine girls and one boy--had given school officials the script of a skit they said they planned to perform, officials said.

But once the skit started, the performers strayed from the script, officials said.

Announcing that they would mimic scenes from the movie “Dazed and Confused,” a comedy depicting high school hazing and partying in the mid-1970s, the Newbury Park teen-agers ordered several freshmen girls who were part of the skit to lie on the floor, then squirted them with syrup, ketchup, mustard, honey and whipped cream.

Senior girls then led the freshmen on leashes in front of the gymnasium section where seniors sat, and instructed the freshmen to yell, “Seniors Rule!”

At one point, the senior boy participating in the skit made suggestive remarks about oral sex to a freshman girl. The students involved said the stunts were just a playful joke, and not meant to harm or humiliate anyone.

“It was just supposed to be a fun skit,” Isabel said. “We didn’t think they’d make a big deal out of it.”

Isabel’s sister, Mari, who was one of the freshmen splattered with syrup, said the performers had discussed the scene in advance. “I didn’t mind,” the 15-year-old said. “It’s always fun to be part of the rally.”

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But school officials were outraged.

“It became a totally inappropriate activity,” Assistant Supt. Richard W. Simpson said. “It did not look like those (freshmen) knew what was going to happen.”

School officials meted out a series of punishments, including one suspension, several expulsions from the student government class, Saturday detention, and “senior contracts.”

The contracts, which were made with individual students, stipulate that if the student commits another offense before June, he or she will loose all senior privileges, including the right to attend the prom and some graduation activities.

Last week, despite student pleas for leniency, the board of the Conejo Valley Unified School District concluded that the disciplinary actions were appropriate.

Newbury High Principal Chuck Eklund said the seniors were punished for misconduct, not hazing, because the incident did not meet the legal definition of that offense.

The state education code defines hazing as an initiation or amusement that results in physical or mental harm to any student.

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Although Eklund said some of the freshmen were not completely aware of what would occur, he said the students participated voluntarily and were not injured. “It was a depiction of hazing,” he said. “I don’t think it was their intent to haze.”

But some parents, including an instructional aide who watched the skit, were appalled.

Depiction or not, they said, the skit showed students being demoralized before their peers, and that was wrong.

“It was repulsive to me,” said Maryellen Glyer, an aide for the school’s special education classes. “It was basically a hazing scene.”

Glyer criticized school officials for not stepping in to stop the incident.

“There was no intervention, which I thought was an error,” she said. “But to their defense, I think they were in shock.”

Eklund said the scene happened too quickly to intervene.

One parent said she was astonished when her son later described what had occurred during the rally.

“It is a violation of good taste,” said Leona Thomason. “This is a terrible thing to do to people who are watching who may not agree that it is OK to lead a girl around like a dog.”

But some Newbury Park High students who watched the brief scene said they were not offended.

“I think the skit was stupid, but I don’t think they should have been kicked out of (student government),” said sophomore Shannon Leon.

Sophomore Elizabeth Bruch said school leader should have considered the students’ reputations. Many are outgoing student leaders and athletes, not troublemakers, she said.

“If they would just tell them not to do it again, I don’t think they would,” 15-year-old Elizabeth said. “They’re good kids.”

Gross, the district superintendent, said the punishment was justified.

“I think these are good kids,” he said. “I think they just hadn’t thought through carefully what occurred . . . (or) what the levity of it was. It again reinforced my belief that movies and TV are serving as inappropriate models all too often for kids.”

But Newbury Park High teacher John Uelmen said the students’ skit was tame in comparison to some movie and television scenes, and was not intended to degrade other students.

“I don’t think they really meant anything by it,” he said. “I think they just wanted to do a funny skit. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of sick stuff on film and TV that’s a lot worse than that.”

Uelmen said he suggested the students involved--many of whom are in his 12th-grade government class--appeal their sentences to the school board.

“They were complaining and complaining and I said, ‘There are things you can do,’ ” he said. “I often encourage students to question authority. That’s the way our system works. We allow people to question and petition.”

But Glyer said the lesson the seniors should have walked away with was one addressing dignity and proper behavior.

“I think most reasonable people would have to conclude that (these students are) our future,” she said. “And (they) thought this was OK, that it was funny. I think that’s dangerous.”