LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) — In Lafayette, at least 20 students at L.J. Alleman school were suspended last week and are facing expulsion for participating in a TikTok challenge for Nardo Wick’s song “Who Want Smoke.”
The video allegedly showed students mimicking the use of weapons.
News Ten’s Rodricka Taylor speaks to two mothers trying to push for change in the school board’s decision.
Several parents are upset about the measures taken over a Tik Tok video. They say all they want is for their kids to be able to go back to school.
“I just feel that the school board is just trying to make an example out of a certain group of kids which is unnecessary. They should have received punishment, you know a suspension but an expulsion is extreme.”
One parent says several students were expelled for making hand gestures of a handgun in the Tik Tok video.
A message from the Lafayette Parish School System urged parents to talk with their children about the consequences of their actions.
Parents are strongly encouraged to have important conversations with their children about appropriate school behavior so that they can remain in school.
Lafayette Parish School System
“”I think if it was targeted towards someone, then yeah it would be a threat but in this incident they were mimicking a video. It was in fun and expressing the video.”
Both parents believe the punishment won’t fix the action.
“I do not feel that expulsion was the go to consequence. I feel like it’s extreme and unnecessary because there were no threats to the school.”
They say this decision will impact their child’s education.
“This is very disturbing because eighth grade is LEAP year so with them losing instructions from their home school for 30 days I feel like this is going to set them back.”
Now both hope their children will be given a second chance at their education.
“Initially she didn’t think it was that serious, of course she is in middle-school but now she sees the severity of what she’s done.”
“I’m hoping they revisit the decision and maybe change the code.”