On Thursday, March 8, 2011, students at Dunkerton High School in Dunkerton, Ia., gathered for an assembly about bullying and making good choices. Instead, the guest speakers, a traveling Christian rock band called Junkyard Prophet, bombarded the students and faculty with anti-gay messages, reported Laura Hibbard of The Huffington Post. Junkyard Prophet claimed that anyone who is gay would die by the age of 42. It was not explained why they would die 42. They also said girls were suppose to be submissive to their husbands and if they were not virgins on their wedding day, they were going to have mud on their wedding dress. It was not specified how the mud would end up on the dresses. To make matters worse, the faculty allowed the three-hour assembly to go on from start to finish.
I am appalled that the faculty did not stop the assembly. Despite the awkwardness, the faculty allowed Junkyard Prophet to spew hateful speech at the students.
The band ridiculed students and teachers who left during the assembly. The teachers and faculty members of a school are supposed to be leaders. Students should be able to look up to them. By allowing the assembly to continue, the faculty members were telling the students they should be submissive to verbal abuse and hateful speech.
When I first heard about the event, I wondered why the school would hire Junkyard Prophet in the first place. The assembly was supposed to be about dealing with bullies and how to make good choices, but Junkyard Prophet ranted about their support for anti-gay and anti-abortion laws. Apparently, the school has hired Junkyard Prophet in the past and the band was well-received then. The school should have done research on the group they hired to speak to their students. Superintendent Jim Stanton told Talking Points Memo that he intends for the school’s faculty to screen future performers in order to avoid another fiasco.
To be fair, Stanton addressed the students after the assembly and told them what Junkyard Prophet preached was “an opinion about intolerance that’s not in line with the beliefs of the Dunkerton Community Schools.” He also tried to reiterate the band’s message against bullying and against drugs. Although Stanton tried to repair the damage that was done, he was a little too late.
I also found it odd that one of the reasons for the assembly was to show that bullying is wrong. The band spent a great portion of the assembly bashing homosexuals. They were the ones doing the bullying.
After the event, students started a petition with the goal to stop Junkyard Prophet and other similar performances in the future. Junkyard Prophet hopes to return to Dunkerton. Dennis Magee of the WCF Courier reported that the band wants to explain their message, which they believe was misinterpreted during the assembly. I am not sure how saying that gay people will die by age 42 can be misinterpreted.
An apology will not fix all the damage done, but I think it would help. By apologizing, the faculty would admit they were wrong. They had the power to prevent the event from continuing and to stop Junkyard Prophet’s harmful speech, but they did not. Advocate.com reports that on March 14, 2011, Dunkerton High School principle Mike Cooper announced his resignation. According to Stanton, the resignation was planned before the assembly occurred, but the timing seems pretty suspicious.
Dunkerton High School’s website, mission statement and student handbook mentioned nothing about the school having any religious affiliation. Although Christianity as a whole is against homosexual union and abortion, many University of Tampa students who consider themselves Christian thought Junkyard Prophet’s message was hateful. “No, that (Junkyard Prophet’s messages) is ridiculous,” said sophomore elementary dducation major Gaby Gonzalez.
“It’s pretty terrible. I don’t really agree,” said freshman finance major Nick Ingegnere.
“I don’t agree at all,” said freshman elementary education major Valentina Castaldo. “I think everyone should believe what they want to believe, but I don’t agree with them (Junkyard Prophet).” It is one thing to be against gay marriage since it is illegal in most states. It is another to say all gay people will die by age 42. By the way, Elton John is 64.
Junkyard Prophet was out of line for what they preached. Still, I blame the faculty of Dunkerton High School more for not stopping the event.
Even when students tried to escape from the verbal assault, even when those students were yelled at, the teachers did nothing at all. Teachers should be role models for students. Students need to know teachers will help them learn to be better people. The teachers of Dunkerton High School have failed their students.
Jake Koniszewski can be reached at john.koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu.