Sue Maguire, a principal at Mount Anthony Union High School in Bennington, Vermont is taking a strong stance against twerking. Maguire believes that twerking is really bad for her students, so she decided to cancel homecoming dance.
MAUHS principal Sue Maguire twerking ban has earned her praises and criticisms. Maguire does not care because she believes what she is doing is in the best interest of her students.
Some people at the school did not share her views, a petition was even started by students who believe that she should have looked for a compromise instead of canceling the dance.
Miley Cyrus’ twerking ways are to blamed for what is happening at the Vermont high school. That’s in essence what Maguire had to say when she replied to those who think that she made the wrong move. In a letter published by the Bennington Banner, Maguire explained that people who think she is wrong, should educate themselves more about twerking. Maguire wrote:
Over the past couple of years, since Miley Cyrus took the stage “twerking” at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, our students’ dancing behavior has crossed the line of what we can condone as appropriate behavior at a school. Twerking is dancing to popular music in a sexually provocative manner involving a low squatting stance and thrusting movements. Students do not face one another or remain with the same person for the length of the song.
If you haven’t seen twerking, I would encourage you to research this online.
For those who think this is all about freedom of expression, the principal claims some of her female students were being victimized during the controversial dance routine. Young girls were being “grinded on” without their consent. Maguire continued:
As a school we are responsible to keep students safe and teach them how to interact with others appropriately. One of the issues that emerges with this highly sexualized form of dancing is consent.
When faculty spoke with some of our students about how the dancing starts between two people, we were told by students that someone just comes up behind you and starts. One female described being uncomfortable when a male student she didn’t know started “grinding” with her from behind. Other students in the discussion agreed with her and said it is not uncommon. They explained to us no one asks permission before “grinding” nor do they ask the other person if they want to dance.
Parents and students who want the 2014-2015 homecoming dance to be reinstated at Mount Anthony Union High School say that the actions of some bad apples should not affect the good kids who act appropriately.
Principal Sue Maguire tweking move has sparked an interesting debate online on the meaning of consent and the limits on freedom of expression.
Should twerking be banned at school?
