A principal in Atwater, California, is on leave after a parent posted video of him dancing with a mascot at a rally, leading some to question whether it was inappropriate and unprofessional.
Video of the back-to-school event last week at Buhach Colony High School showed Principal Robert Nunes running his hands down the mascot's chest while the mascot sat in a chair. It appeared to be a Las Vegas-themed rally, with decorations of playing cards on the walls and someone saying, "What happens at Buhach stays at Buhach."
The Merced Union High School District placed Nunes on administrative leave Monday, it said in a statement.
"The District is conducting a comprehensive review of the situation," it said. "While the investigation is ongoing, Mr. Nunes will not be participating in any school-related responsibilities or activities."
Ryan Attebery saw the video on his son's Instagram account and reposted it to Facebook on Saturday, captioning it: "Am I a square or was this weird af for a principal to do?"
The reaction was a mixed, with many community members defending Nunes and others saying it was inappropriate for an educator.
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Attebery told NBC affiliate KSEE of Fresno that he felt that there were some red flags in the video and that while others might not agree, "what’s weird is weird to me."
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"A lot of former students commented and were like, ‘Well, I kind of liked him, what happened?’” Attebery said. "I’m not into cancel culture. I’m just like, hey parents, you have the right to know."
NBC News was unable to reach Nunes for comment Thursday after an email bounced back as undeliverable.
People have been commenting for days on Attebery's Facebook page debating whether it was acceptable behavior from a school principal.
Other commenters came to Nunes defense, with one person writing that he was loved in the local community. The person, identified as Justin Rogers, urged Attebery to stop implying Nunes had bad intentions.
"This man is so widely respected and loved by everyone in his community," Rogers wrote. "Teachers love him, students love him and co workers love him."
One person suggested that perhaps a private conversation with Nunes would have been “more impactful.” Attebery wrote back Thursday that he agreed.
“The original intention was asking my friends and family if I was being a ‘Karen’ it was a mistake not expecting this,” he wrote. “Could have done it so differently. Lesson learned. That was my mistake.”
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