Officials with Deer Creek School District released a statement after video of students licking toes during the school's Wonderful Week of Fundraising.
"Deer Creek Students, Staff, and Families,
On Thursday, February 29, 2024, Deer Creek High School hosted a student assembly called the Clash of Classes, where ninth through twelfth grade students volunteered to participate in various student-organized class competitions, in the spirit of raising money for this year’s charity recipient as a part of our Wonderful Week of Fundraising (WWF). There is a video circulating on social media of one of the activities that involves students only during this assembly that has, unfortunately, gained national attention.
We want to stress to our community that much of the information accompanying this video is inaccurate. However, through this specific game we failed to uphold the dignity of our students and the proud image of our community. We have a responsibility to protect our Antlers and showcase them in a positive light. In regards to this one particular activity, we fell short and for that we greatly apologize.
We are taking steps to ensure that this is not repeated, and that all fundraising activities are carried out with the pride and respect worthy of our students, staff and community. We strive to offer a positive experience for both our students and the charity that our annual fundraising efforts support. This is an important part of our WWF mission and will play an even greater role in future decision-making. Moving forward, we want to learn from this experience and do better in the future.
We want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of many of our students and staff that contributed to making WWF a week filled with activities and events designed to bring our community together. Our students who participated in the game in question, as well as those involved in all our other WWF activities, deserve our full support for their philanthropic intentions. Their efforts led to the fundraising of $152,830.38 for a meaningful organization that serves communities far beyond the boundaries of Deer Creek.
Thank you for standing with us and helping us to weather this storm and move forward together.
Deer Creek School District"