VIDEO | Gross 'licking' contest in Washington school draws scrutiny

A Washington State middle school is under investigation for organising an objectionable and inappropriate game which some parents say has a sexual theme to it and is harmful to students and can promote unhealthy behaviour.

A video has gone viral on social media where the Desert Hills Middle School's staff members and students can be seen participating in a contest which involved licking marshmallow cream off a transparent plexiglass. The video from the contest was posted on the Wake Up WA State Facebook page.

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In the video, it can be seen that staff and students come one by one in pairs, stand on opposite sides of the glass and lick up the four lines of cream off the glass in a haste in an apparent race to win the perplexing and very bizarre contest which some students and parents have termed as “gross” and “highly sexualized.”

After protest lodged by several students and parents, Kennewick School District is now conducting an investigation into the matter.

They are trying to find out the reason behind organising this disgusting event which was held a couple of weeks ago right before spring break.

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“This activity does not reflect the high standards we hold for our staff members as outlined in district policy,” Superintendent Traci Pierce said in a letter to the school community last Wednesday, according to Tri-City Herald.

“The content of a video being shared on social media is highly concerning, and the situation is currently being investigated by the district.”

Many parents have displayed disgust and anger over the matter saying that school officials should have been careful in considering the games that are played in schools to ensure that they are appropriate for students.

In the video, some of the people can be seen enjoying the awful contest in mirth while others seem to be absolutely baffled and horrified by the event as they watched the game unfold in utter confusion.

Loud noises can be heard in the video with students reacting to the game. One student can be heard saying “That’s actually so gross."

Another student in the video screamed, “ewww.”

“What the heck,” a student exclaimed.

One time the glass was about to topple but a faculty member quickly rushed to the scene and held on to the dividing glass to keep it upright, as per the video.

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“If you are just looking at it, not necessarily knowing what’s going on, to me it kind of reminds me of like a bachelorette party game,” a parent April Jordan told KNDU, reported New York Post.

“I don’t really know, how even once you have said it out loud, it seems like a good idea.”

Another parent Megan Sa told Fox News the staff behavior was “highly sexualized.”

“In my opinion, we do not send our children to school to be exposed to highly sexualized behavior by adults,” Sa said adding, “We send them to school to learn and for them to socialize with other people their ages."

“They shouldn’t have to sit in a gym for a school assembly and wonder ‘What is going on?’ Schools should be a safe place for children to go and this despicable display of adult behavior was hard to watch.”

After an investigation, the school chief Pierce said it was “not appropriate activity."“During the activity, some students felt very uncomfortable, and the activity was highly disturbing for some students, parents, families, and community members to watch on video,” she said. “This activity does not have district approval and will never be repeated in the future.”

However, she also stated that the intent behind the game was “innocent and not ill-intended.”

“There is zero evidence to suggest or support that this was in any way ‘grooming’ activity on the part of organizers or participants,” she added. “That being said, the fact that the activity was planned, occurred, and not stopped, shows a lack of sound discernment and good judgment, and the activity is not aligned with district expectations.”

An apology was issued by the school’s principal Casey Grant. “I am committed to the safety of our students and staff and will ensure that all future activities meet the highest professional standards and adhere to district policy,” he said.

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