LAKEPORT ? Dave McKinney was one of several parents upset Wednesday that his son is affected by a school policy that students are not allowed to gather in groups of more than four if they are wearing the same colors.
Some 170 students at Lakeport schools who have traditionally worn Westshore Vikings jerseys on Fridays are being told to disperse if they hang out in groups of more than four. Parents say it has to do with previous alleged gang activity at the school; administrators say not so.
“There”s a long-standing rule at the school that kids should not hang around in large groups, especially if they”re dressed in the same colors,” said Lakeport Unified School District Superintendent Erin Smith-Hagberg. “The reason is that it can be intimidating to other kids. It would be the same if they were wearing white shirts and blue pants, for instance. If they were walking together, we would have them break up,” Smith-Hagberg said. She said the reason for the “more than four” stipulation is to make the standard clear. Students are still allowed to wear their jerseys.
Parents at a Wednesday night practice behind Clear Lake High School said the decision was made as recently as a few weeks ago when their sons got their jerseys. One parent, who chose to remain anonymous, said this year”s Vikings were getting the “downfall of gang problems last year,” which involved students being told they could no longer wear the Norte?o and Sure?o gang colors red and blue. It was after the parents of those alleged gang members pointed out the inconsistency in the schools” Friday Vikings jerseys tradition that things changed, she said.
Varsity Head Coach Mike Humble met with Smith-Hagberg and Jill Falconer, principal of Terrace Heights and Terrace Middle School, to discuss the situation mid-day Wednesday. Humble told his team about the school policy before practice Wednesday evening, saying if the team members wanted to be in a group of more than four they would need to remove their jerseys.
“The rules are because we”re not wanting gang problems,” Humble said. “Having a safe school is more important than having five or more guys in jerseys. It”s worth it to us.”
Dave McKinney said he”s worried that his junior varsity son will have to pick and choose which friends to hang out with on Fridays now. “If the football players are being bullies they should have the same disciplinary action as any other bully, but not because they”re wearing jerseys,” McKinney said.
When asked about the policy, parent John Larsen said this was the first time he”d heard of it. “Kids have been wearing football jerseys since I was in school. It”s the way kids show pride in their team. That”s the most ridiculous thing I”ve ever heard,” said Larsen. He added that typically kids in after school football activities are on “the other end of the spectrum” from those who become gang members.
“Those kids are certainly not gang members,” said Smith-Hagberg. She said the reported fear of gang activity was “blown out of proportion,” and that the rule would apply to everyone at Lakeport”s schools, not just the West Shore Vikings team members and cheerleaders.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
