Way to go, Mr. (Central High School Principal Finley) King. I saw the dance squad's show against Sequatchie County and it was very seductive and not what any high school squad should be doing.

I am a big fan and alumni of Central and was embarrassed by my school with what I saw these young high school ladies doing. Yes, I graduated many years ago and times have changed. But at some point you can't just use that as a reason to accept unacceptable behavior. They should have stuck to the routine that was presented to Mr. King and they could be performing against Howard.

When I first read the article Mr. King's comments were not there and I questioned why this student had access to his emails. It is obvious upon reading his comments that some of the information was fabricated or misunderstood by someone - such as the "N" word being used. Why would color matter - if it is not acceptable it doesn't matter what color of skin you have. It appears that there are some people that want to turn this into a race issue.

I have two daughters who went to Central and I can assure you that if they were on the dance team and were performing what I saw these young high school ladies performing, my wife and/or myself would have been the first to go down there and put an end to their participation. Thanks to Mr. King for doing the right thing. I am behind you 110%.

Charles McElaney
Class of 76

* * *

Finally, a principal with principals. Any parent who does not see what the "dancing girls" are doing is wrong is part of the bigger problems in our society that are reflected in what goes on in the schools. I call it bad/or no parenting. Could this kind of behavior by students (including how they dress in some schools) contribute to the increase of illegal student/teacher relationships?

I also question why these groups exist in the schools in the first place. Cheerleaders are enough. Money wasted on a choreographer? If the girls enjoy dancing, the parents should pay for private lessons, etc. - not my tax dollars in the schools.

Please give us a break. If they are good students, a better way to spend their time is to tutor those who need help. We know there are plenty. If they are not good students, study more.

Cheryl Ramsey

* * *

I am not an alumnus of Central, but I certainly agree with Mr King's actions. The principal is accountable for behavior at all school-sponsored events, and I commend his overseeing the dance team.

An outside choreographer should have presented the routine to him before a performance, and also ensured that the dance team stayed with the accepted routine.

Central should be proud to have a principal such as Mr. King.

Mike Parker
Harrison