Kentucky high school principal and two staffers are given 'slap on the wrist' after students were filmed giving them LAP DANCES during homecoming week festivities
- Principal Donald 'Happy' Mobelini as well as staff members Larry Thacker and Joshua Hurt received reprimands for a homecoming event on October 27
- Mobelini and the two staffers were criticized after they were captured receiving lap dances by male students in drag at Hazard High School
- The 'man pageant' event drew online criticism and received negative media attention
- The reprimand said that the staffers had exhibited 'poor professional judgment' and have to attend mandatory training for their actions
A Kentucky high school principal and two male staffers were given a 'slap on the wrist' after they were filmed getting lap dances by male students dressed in drag at a homecoming event.
Donald 'Happy' Mobelini, the principal of Hazard High School and mayor of the town, as well as staff members Larry Thacker and Joshua Hurt received the reprimands the day after the homecoming event on October 27.
The event, which was called a 'man pageant,' had featured male students giving lap dances to three staffers with female students also participating by pretending to serve beer while wearing Hooters shirts.
Photos and footage of the homecoming event sparked a firestorm of criticism on social media.
The reprimand, signed by Hazard Independent Superintendent Sondra Combs, stated that the staffers had exhibited 'poor professional judgment' and have to attend mandatory training sessions approved by the school.
Hazard High School Principal Donald 'Happy' Mobelini and two other staffers were reprimanded on October 27 for their involvement in a scandalous homecoming event
Photos surfaced of male students giving lap dances to Mobelini and other male staff members at a homecoming event
The event also featured female students pretending to serve beer while wearing Hooter's shirts
'This action placed the school district in a situation of legal liability and cast it in a poor light,' the letter read.
It also stated that any further disciplinary reaction from the three staffers could result in them being fired.
A school document released to the Lexington Herald-Leader had also revealed the details of the homecoming event.
'Each class will sponsor one boy to compete against the other class representative in evening wear, swim attire and talent,' the document read.
A rally was organized for Mobelini on October 28 to support him after photos of the event became public.
Rallygoers claimed the criticism was an attack on the school's homecoming tradition in defense of the 'man pageant.'
This is not the first time that Mobelini was in hot water with the school district.
A rally was organized on October 28 to support Mobelini after footage of the event broke out
A sign reading 'We Love You Happy' at the rally
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Moblelini had been involved in a 2019 lawsuit with the Perry Circuit Court after an unidentified female student claimed she had been sexually assaulted by a male classmate during a school trip two years earlier.
In the lawsuit, she claimed she had been told not to report the sexual assault as it could go on the male student's record.
The lawsuit also said that Mobelini and two other chaperones had failed to check up on the students during the trip as well as following up on the allegations.
Mobelini and the two other teachers have sought to dismiss the case.
He had allegedly failed to mention the lawsuit when renewing his teaching license last year.
The case is due to go to trial next August.
Mobelini and the other male staffers at Hazard High School had exhibited 'poor professional judgment' as stated in the reprimand
In 2008, Mobelini was reprimanded for an alcohol-related incident involving students that were drinking on school property.
He was also allegedly seen driving students around in photos who were smoking and consuming alcohol.
He denied his involvement in these incidents as he claimed he was unaware of the student's drinking.
Despite not being formally charged, he had to undergo 12 hours of alcohol and drug awareness training.
