A video posted on YouTube showing Buhach Colony High School administrators pretending to be in combat with students from rival Atwater High – ending with the students being “shot” with a fake gun – drew sharp criticism from school district leaders Wednesday.
The video begins with Buhach Colony principal Steve Hobbs and other administrators sitting in a meeting discussing “security measures” for an upcoming game with Atwater High. The meeting is interrupted by Atwater Police Officer Matthew Haywood, who alerts them that “Freddy the Falcon” is on campus. The falcon is Atwater High’s mascot.
Buhach Colony’s administrators jump into action, donning costumes of superheroes such as Thor, Superman, Wonder Woman and Catwoman, before running to defend the campus against the trespassers. The song “Who Let The Dogs Out” plays as the rival Atwater High students strut onto the campus.
The video shows Haywood, a school resource officer, helplessly being handcuffed to a pillar. A 2-minute “battle” between the Atwater High students and Buhach Colony administrators ensues, until one of the administrators says, “There’s too many of them.” Then Hobbs tells them to “release the Cometta.”
Kathy Cometta, a campus security officer, rolls up in a golf cart with a large toy gun. “No IDs? Not on my campus,” she mutters, before feigning opening fire on the Atwater High students, as a machine gun sound effect is heard. The students fall to the ground, pretending to die. Cometta is then seen pretending to blow smoke from the gun’s tip.
Dave Honey, acting president of the Merced Union High School District board of trustees, said simulating a campus shooting in the video was a “big mistake” – especially considering the history of real-life school shootings across the country.
“I know it was supposed to be a joke, but you just can’t do anything like that,” Honey said Wednesday. “If it was in reverse and a student had done that against administrators, I think we would be looking at an expulsion. It was just in poor taste.”
Honey said Buhach Colony’s principal, Steve Hobbs, emailed an apology to the principal and students of Atwater High. He also pulled the video off YouTube, but it had already been shown to students at a rally, according to officials. The video was also reposted to YouTube on Wednesday.
MUHSD trustee William Snyder III said the video was supposed to have a slightly different ending. He said the gun was supposed to squirt barbecue sauce at the students – hence, the name of the video “Fry the Falcon” – but a technical issue prevented that.
Hobbs would not comment on whether the video’s ending was changed because of technical difficulties. He also declined to identify the school administrators in the video or say whose idea it was. “At no time was there intent to glamorize or endorse school violence,” Hobbs said in a brief phone interview. “Would I do it again? Obviously not. I apologize for the impact it had on the community.”
While Hobbs expressed regret over the video, the principal of Atwater High said the incident was being blown out of proportion. “For people to be up in arms about this is a little bit of political correctness,” said Principal Alan Peterson. “It obviously should not have ended that way, I can’t say that enough. But you’re not writing about all the great things that are happening in the schools.”
The MUHSD board of trustees held a meeting Wednesday night, but the video was not discussed. Trustee Ida Johnson said the video took the rivalry between the two high schools too far. She suggested having district officials approve videos before they are posted.
“We need to make sure this doesn’t happen again, because some students can take it to a different level,” she said. “I just could not believe what I was seeing. We don’t tolerate any weapons on campus at all, and this was uncalled for.”
An Atwater High School student, Sebastian Cervantes, 17, posted a response video on YouTube, recapping parts of the original video. “I think Buhach needs to know that what they did was offensive,” Cervantes said. “They make it seem like it’s cool and I hope they learn the difference between right and wrong.”
Cervantes’ video reposted on the Sun-Star’s Facebook page drew more than 100 responses, mostly surprise and shock from readers. Atwater Police Chief Frank Pietro also expressed surprise over the video, saying he did not authorize his officer to appear in it.
Pietro said Officer Haywood didn’t know the video would end with students being “shot” to death. “The officer said he had no knowledge they would do that portion of it,” Pietro said. “It’s inappropriate as heck, and I’m still in shock.”
Longtime educator and Atwater Mayor Joan Faul also responded to the controversial video Wednesday. She said the video reached a new level of rivalry between the two schools and never should have happened.
“That just sent chills up my spine, and we do not need to be planting seeds (of violence),” Faul said. “There are other ways to do school spirit without portraying violence. This gives the impression that violence is OK, and it’s not.”
Sun-Star staff writer Ramona Giwargis can be reached at (209) 385-2477
