Administration calls video 'inappropriate'
By Chris Fish
cfish@hometownnewsol.com
TITUSVILLE -- Members from a high school baseball team have danced their way to community service after school officials punished the players for a viral video they deemed as "inappropriate."
According to officials, eight baseball players from Titusville High School, who performed their own version of the popular viral dance video "The Harlem Shake" while on school grounds, were originally suspended from the team by the school administration. However, the suspension was later reduced to community service.
"Students are encouraged to express themselves in a positive manner that doesn't violate our code of conduct or disrupt the learning environment," said Michelle Irwin, director of District Communications for the Brevard County School District, in an email.
Officials said baseball Coach Mark Lewis sent a letter to the parents of the students involved and said the players could return to the team on a probation basis.
In the letter, Coach Lewis said the players will be allowed back on the team after a completion of community service, including helping with a fundraiser concert.
Ms. Irwin said the eight members of the team filmed the video in an area in connection with the school's baseball field.
The viral video "The Harlem Shake" became an international hit in early 2013. The video starts with usually one person, often times wearing a helmet or a mask, dancing by themselves to electronic-dance music. Then, once the break of the song hits, the video cuts to several people, who usually are dressed in costumes or other entertaining garments, aggressively dancing along to the music.
Dancers in the video will often thrust their hips to the music.
The video lasts around 30 seconds, and it has generated thousands of copycat videos across the Internet.
The players' video gathered more than 700 views before being taken off Youtube.