An Oklahoma high school is facing intense backlash after students were captured on video licking feet during a fundraising event.
A viral video posted on X, formerly Twitter, seemingly shows Deer Creek High School students participating in the bizarre competition for their Wonderful Week of Fundraising, KOKH reported.
The video also was shared by Libs of TikTok, a controversial far-right social media account championed by conservatives: “UNBELIEVABLE. This happened at @DCAntlers. Students sucked on the toes of adults during a school fundraising event. Who approved this???”
State Superintendent Ryan Walters responded to @libsoftiktok’s post, saying officials are looking into the matter at the school in Edmond, a suburb of Oklahoma City.
“This is disgusting,” Walters wrote. “We are cleaning up this filth in Oklahoma schools. Our agency is investigating.”
School district officials explained that the high school held the “Clash of the Classes” on Thursday, Feb. 29. Officials debunked the allegations posted online, stating that only students participated in the event.
“During this assembly, ninth through twelfth grade students volunteered to participate in various student-organized class competitions, in the spirit of raising money for NYAJ,” the district told the outlet in a lengthy statement. “All participants in the assembly were students who signed up for the game(s) they played ahead of time. No Deer Creek faculty or staff participated in any of the games during this Clash of Classes assembly.”
The district apologized to the community, acknowledged their shortcomings, and emphasized that the activity would not happen again, according to The Oklahoman.
The high school was able to raise nearly $153,000 during the week for Not Your Average Joe Coffee, a non-profit, local organization that provides a safe space for “students and adults with developmental and physical disabilities in the creation of exceptional coffee.”
The organization has been met with a wave of threats since the video made headlines. Not Your Average Joe Coffee Executive Director Tim Herbel told The Oklahoman that the footage “took on a life of its own,” resulting in random people sending offensive emails and leaving negative reviews online.
“They call our stores, and our friends with special needs usually answer the phones and they are being cussed out and called pedophiles,” Herbel added. “One star reviews from all over the country. We’re not this well-funded machine that has all these dollars. We’re getting beat up. The kids are getting beat up.”
