An investigation into a balloon game played earlier this month at a Durango High School pep rally found no ill intent.
Durango School District 9-R released a written statement Friday to The Durango Herald saying administrators found “no ill intentions existed, but rather an error in judgment.”
“We have taken appropriate actions to ensure that our pep rally activities are more in line with our vision,” Julie Popp, district spokeswoman, wrote in the statement.
During the March 15 Unified/Spring Sports Assembly, male students held inflated balloons on their laps and chests while female students either sat or laid on top of their male counterparts and bounced up and down in attempt to pop the balloons. Hundreds of students attended the pep rally.
A student shared a video of the game on Snapchat, a social media platform that allows videos to be posted by location. The same day, the principal of the high school sent an apology to parents, saying an investigation would be completed.
The investigation into the event found students volunteered to participate and reported that “they did not feel uncomfortable while participating,” Popp said.
In the future, district administration plans to work with the high school community to ensure that activities during pep rallies meet the district’s educational mission, she said.
The district declined to comment about whether students or staff faced disciplinary action.
Shortly after the pep rally, parents, students and other members of the community raised concerns about the game, saying it was inappropriate for a school activity because it had sexual undertones.
Sexual Assault Services Organization Executive Director Maura Doherty Demko previously said she was disappointed to learn the game was played.
“Things that appear benign are those pieces that open the ground for more severe harassment – eventually assault, because it’s played off as a joke,” Demko said after the game.
The balloon relay was a mistake, and it is understood that a similar event will never be held again, Durango High School students Saylor Stottlemyer and Kaylan Wait wrote in an article submitted to the Herald.
In the piece, titled “Normalized ‘Rape Culture’ at DHS? We think not,” the students said the game shouldn’t be viewed as a representation of how Durango High School conducts itself or the morals it promotes.
“Yes, the balloon game was inappropriate, and there was a better way to introduce spring athletes,” the students wrote. “However, please do not believe that our school ‘normalizes rape culture.’”
In an email to the Herald, Stottlemyer said the situation was exaggerated and the entire community didn’t need to be involved.
“It could have been dealt with between the creators of the event and the concerned students,” she said.
The successes of the assembly were overshadowed by the balloon relay, she said.
During the gathering, high school staff played a basketball game against the students with disabilities as part of the Spread the Word to End the Word campaign. The campaign is aimed at ending the use of the words “retard” and “retarded.”
The assembly also recognized Madeline “Maddie Jo” Robbins, a competitive mountain biker who was recently named a Colorado Sportswoman of the Year.
mshinn@durangoherald.com
'We think not' editorial (PDF)
