GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.- Nine students from Union High School in Grand Rapids have been suspended after posting a “Harlem Shake” video online.
The 30 second video starts like other “Harlem Shake” videos, one person dancing alone and then halfway through the video it cuts to a classroom full of high school students doing the dance.
The creator of the video, 16-year-old Luis Romero, said he the process took about a minute to do after he downloaded a Harlem Shake app on his phone.
The class had a substitute teacher at the time the video was shot. Romero said he asked her if it would be alright to make the movie.
“We were like hey miss can we do the Harlem Shake? She was like yes you can do it just as long as you do your work and keep it down,” said Romero.
Jon Helmholdt, a spokesperson with Grand Rapids Public Schools, said they were able to identify nine students in the video and suspended those students for two days for causing a disruption and violating the school dress code.
In addition the teacher was also held responsible.
Helmholdt said, “The teacher also exercised poor judgement and allowed it to happen without managing the class or allowing it to happen with their approval and either way it’s unexceptable. Not only did we escort that teacher off campus, but we communicated with PESG and they are not allowed to teach in this district anymore.”
Romero said he doesn’t regret making the video but he does feel bad that the substitute teacher will no longer be allowed to teach in the district.
