At first glance, it looks bad. The entire dance was cancelled due to "how many" people were breaking the rules? It is 2012, not puritanical New Englad in the 1600s.

Appropriate steps could have been taken, including the removal and subsequent "detention" of the offenders, and have THEIR parents notified to come get them.

To summarily dismiss the entire group and send them out in to the streets is irresposnible.

So because it's 2012, it's appropriate for kids to be grinding at a dance? These are 14-18 year old KIDS. Key word there, KIDS. I blame the parents who let their children act in this manner. It's disgusting. Yes, it's 2012, and teen pregnancy is at an all-time high. But that must be alright too, being that it is 2012, right? Did I miss the memo where this is socially accepted now? How about parents start owning up to their kids and their actions? This is our future. Get them out from in front of the tv, the PS3, Wii and especially facebook and twitter. Instill how much an education is worth now a days. Acting in this sexual manner while at a school function is wrong in so many ways. For those who condone this, you are wrong as well.
As far as releasing the kids without notifying their parents to pick them up, that in itself is a huge issue. I'd like to know who's call this was and where in the world they got the idea that this action was acceptable.

Honestly all us students where warned. The principal is not to be blamed. The one thing that it seems no one is understanding is we were warned. Most the kids decided to leave when told not to. once they left the gym it should have been their responsibility to call their parents. If they decided not to call any one then its the kids fault. There is no one to blame but us students

My kids called me before they went to the Creamery and got my permission. I wasn't close enough to get them when the dance let out as I was scheduling my night around the time the dance ended at 11:00 and had a "date night" with my husband. We learned a lesson. If the kids are out at a school function, we stay home. And yes, if the kids acted like jerks, punishments should be forthcoming. I am just really irritated at how it was handled. I don't have all the facts and can only imagine that the school did what they thought was best.

My concern is why the entire student body was punished for the dIscretions of some. The phone message that was sent out prior to the dance stated that inappropriate behavior would be dealt with on an individual basis. This certainly wasn't the case.

Gone are the days when you could send your kids off for a fun filled night I guess. The ones that caused this to happen should have been sent home, not punish everyone for what others do. Glad my kids are grown and gone, and this type of worry is a thing of my past!!!

I usto go to mhs and I was at the dance first off to those people calling us kids I would like to saythat we r responsible teens! Although our actions were wrong, the school had no right to just cut the dance. It's homecoming all people wanna do is gringo for 3 hours then go home. We were brethalized before going in which is rediculouse! I think that after trying to protest for our rights we should have been abile to grind for atleast a little bit. Last year we were allude to gring the whole time but we had some rules to it. It's all just because we got a new dean at Middletown high school.

An just to make something clear it was literally the whole student body taking part in this so they could not punish individual people because everyone sat down and started chanting "bullshit"

This story gets funnier and funnier. So basically all of the children (yes children, because that is what they acted like!) decided to riot because they couldn't grind? Really?

Aren't there other ways to dance, or has that changed since I was as MHS? Is it really necessary to dance in an inappropriate manner in front of your teachers? I understand that they are 14-18 year olds, but life lesson learned, when asked to not do something that is clearly inappropriate, don't do it or there will be repercussions. And for them to chant bad language back to the faculty? My mother would have been mortified if I did that! These are your teachers, have some respect!

Dear Natalie,
Your point might be a little clearer if you used what you learned in school to help you write properly. Maybe use spell check as well? Not sure if you are writing in text message lingo, but you should remember your audience. All students were warned NUMEROUS times to act appropriately. When you conduct yourselves properly, you get the respect you deserve. Yes, the whole usually suffer because of the few, but the line was obviously crossed, and discipline needed to be maintained. Most likey, students who acted properly while at the dance, did the right thing and let parents know that the dance was dismissed earlier than planned, and acted accordingly. Parents, stop blaming others for your kids' bad decisions!

I'm not defending the actions of the students who were misbehaving - my comment is for the parent who is throwing boulders at their parents. I have a nine year old and am continually shocked at some of her hijinks, still innocent thankfully, when Mom isn't around to set her straight. Do you really believe your child is always going to act as if you're next to him? Think back to your own teenage years. The last thing I ever wanted to do was disappoint my parents but I was tempted once or twice to try and get away with it!

If these young adults want to be treated as such, following protocol and being decent members of civilization are required. No one's teaching them anything by letting it go uncorrected. It's our jobs as parents and teachers.

I agree with the parents who are upset about their CHILDREN being release before notified. However i just read the CHILDREN were told to stay but left anyway..what it comes down to is that the CHILDREN are becoming very disrespectful these days. There's no respect for authority of any kind... And yes, these teachers are in authority while your children are at school... And these CHILDREN should be made aware of this. Would your child / children swear at you? If the answer is yes... You should question the issues of parenting in your home. If no, then you should sit down with your child / children and discuss respecting the authorities "rule"... If I ever behaved the way these children are behaving these days I would be in BIG trouble.... Something hasto change! these kids are our future! I have 2 little girls and I will let you know, grinding would NOT be acceptable! And neither would be the chanting and swearing or leaving without a phone call!

Trashy parents breed trashy kids. Go islanders!

I am not a fan of grinding and I understand that school administrators feel uncomfortable but really, these kids are just dancing. Is it better to let them have some freedom or should we alienate them, have them leave a dance and then possibly get into serious trouble? Kids who go overboard should be warned and possible kicked out of the dance, but to monitor every move at a dance is asking for kids to get defensive and lash out. Every generation has had to deal with grown up who try to restrict. Don't you remember when you were kids?? The Beatles were considered the downfall of society. I think everybody needs to chill out.

YOOO. IMA LET YOU GUYS FINISH, BUT MHS HAD ONE OF THE BEST HOMECOMINGS OF ALL TIME!

What is this Footloose?.....ridiculous!!... let the kids do their thang...it's harmless.More and more this country is turning into a communist like regime. All these people telling you how to dance, what to eat, what to drink WEAR YOUR SEATBELT or we'll fine you. Do this, do that, do the other thing. We are losing all our freedoms. such a shame.

I honestly just think that what happened was out of hand, but to expect a homecoming to have no grinding is a ridiculous expectation. We're teenagers, don't condone grinding but regulate it at least. We ALL (teachers and students) deserve some blame for what happened last night.

Too all MHS students, if you posted with your real name, delete it. I got suspended for posting my opinion outside of school my senior year. School is ran by a bunch of idiots.

Several have asked if the Middletown Police were present at the dance. I have confirmed and updated the article that there were police detail present, but the department did not have anything to do with the decision or the process to release the students.

I graduated two years ago. My senior year, they came up with a rule stating four on the floor and no more than a 45 degree angle. We all accepted this. How can you go from putting restrictions on it to completly banning it? More than half of the school has attended homecoming at mhs where grinding has been permitted. So suddenly telling them they cant do something that they have been able to do for (in the seniors case) the past three years, obviously there is going to be some upset and confused attendees. I agree, the way some people try to get away with grinding... It's practically sex on the dance floor. But a lot of it's not. It's today's style of club dancing. It's all over the tv and honestly the music played at these dances... There's no other way to dance to them. Who else remembers the song "grind on me"? They still play it at these dances... But tell you not to grind? It's like giving a toddler a cookie andtelling them not to eat it. There's blame to be put on everybody in this situation, but the biggest culprit is today's society. Why don't we change the views we give our kids and the things they are exposed to through television, music, the media. Kids learn by example. They learn things younger and younger. So you can't put all the blame on them or the faculty of mhs. Yes, it got out of hand. But it's how these kids were raised and what they are exposed to on a daily basis that forms them into the people they are.

I dont think this is right. last year there was a good ammount of inappropriate dancing and nothing was done about it. We are teenagers and i understand its the rules but the fact that middletown let teenage students go at a time parents were not notified about is the schools fault. Both students and school did wrong. I was at portsmouths himecoming a few weeks ago and that was all the students did and nothing happened, no one was sent home, kicked out and the dance continued. I just believe that there could have been another way they could have handled this.

As an alumnus of MHS, I believe that the actions on both sides were a bit extreme. Cutting the dance short due to grinding (which has been done for years, at many homecomings and proms) was a bit over-exaggerated, and the chanting of expletives at the teachers and faculty by the students was very unnecessary and immature. Many students commenting on this post are saying that they are not children and that they are mature adults, but mature adults do not act in such a way. At this moment, I am a bit embarrassed to say I was a part of that student body just one year ago. Students, please learn how to behave in a mature manner. As for the faculty, this dance will not stop (as seen by the events of last night), and I believe that with regulation, it should be allowed to stay at school functions. I hope that everything works out well for both sides.

BUUUUUUULLLSHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTT

Personally I had a lot of fun for the first part.

As a middletown graduate, I 100% side with the student body. What's the harm in letting them dance however they want? I agree that its inappropriate but come on, so was showing your ankles at one point! The 4 years I spent at mhs were honestly the worst of my life. Between the excessive rules (senior pranks have to be approved with the administration or everyone gets in trouble. Seriously?), ridiculous "punishment" (cancelling senior powderpuff football, a girls only event, as a punishment for the entire senior class WALKING ONTO THE LAWN DURING A SENIOR STAMPEDE) and "senior privleges" (getting to walk out a certain door at lunch? Wow thanks a ton!), MHS is literally a hell hole. I hated every second I was there. This is yet another example of the overpunishment MHS is famous for. This was the seniors' last homecoming, how could the administration, rather than remove the "problem", shut down the entire dance? Because they wanted to make an example. All they have created is a stronger bond between the students. This is not the last we've heard, I'm sure. The students will get fed up soon and react differently. I pity everyone who has to spend 4 years there. The school really needs to look at the big picture rather than reacting moment by moment. It's absolutely ridiculous.

Barley any students were grinding due to changing the rules about harmless dancing ways. Teachers and others expect a HIGHSCHOOL dance full of young adults to be rainbows and butterflys. Belive it or not your "kids" are growing up. Is that how you dance at a club when you turn 18? dancing up and down to slow much and One Direction? No i do not think so! I want my money back because that dance was straight up doooooodoooooO!!!!!!!

music*

i would rather lick a camels butthole than attend another dance like that again.

I left middletown because i believed that they dont know how to run their school. students should be able to be themselves. this is rediculous. I now go to The Met school and we are aloud to be ourselves and i love it. Yes students could have acted differently but so could the school. Both had part in this. we are not kids ok we are young adults(teenagers). Parents should not be blammed at all. Another thing that bothers me is the fact that EVERY student had to be breathalized. At portsmouths dance if you looked suspicious you got breathalized. This school needs to work on actually trusting the students and they are trustworthy. We act the way we do because we have no trust and i left because ibwas bullied and no one did anything about it and i am not happy to say i love school because The Met gives us trust if we are bullied we talk with those students and fix things and we can be ourselves. Honestly it aint like they were having sex and doing drugs and alcohol ok so its just dancing parents can not tell me they werent teenagers at one point and they didnt do this stuff this is rediculous.

a few observations from a concerned parent...

1. This act of civil disobedience was planned and discussed before the dance by students ( my child had the courage to discuss it with me before the dance )... I wish they handled it differently... no profanity, no grinding.... just stand there in silence.. but as noted they are kids.
2. Everyone is given a breathalyzer test when entering for their own, and the public’s, safety but they turn "the mob" out on to the streets and roads of Middletown? Ultimately, the administration, teachers and police should have anticipated this outcome and had a plan in place if and when they shut the dance down.
3. Figure out if the School System is up to the task when managing dances going forward…. Kids want to grind… the administration doesn’t want them to… so this will happen again at the next dance.
4. Better yet.. draft a law banning grinding in Middletown… then we can get these hoodlums off the streets and put the new police station to good use.

I am a senior at MHS. I would just like to say that if Middletown had not had so many restrictions on the dance, this "rebellion" would never have happened. Which leads me to wonder- were the excessive restrictions worth the results? Was it really necessary to cancel my senior year homecoming because the adults were too disgusted to be able to watch us dance? I don't think so. In previous years, students dancing too inappropriately, such as "four on the floor", have been kicked out of the dances, and that is completely understandable. None of the adults- or students, for that matter- want to see that. But to take away our freedom of expression is completely unfair. Grinding at MHS will not lead to terrible results such as dropping out of school. The restrictions on this dance were far too extreme. It now seems likely that now we will no longer be having any more dances. Thank you MHS for taking away my most anticipated part of senior year. It is greatly appreciated.
And to the adult above saying that grinding will lead to teen pregnancy and no education- check your sources before you go around saying this. Most of the students at the dance that I knew were responsible, studious teenagers who had already started planning for college and definitely did not have their own child.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE-5Ye15PVY&feature=share

Can someone tell me where you draw the line between grinding and dancing like it's 2012? Is anyone seriously suggesting that we go back to the days where teachers held out rules to make sure that students were 6 inches apart? I understand that we don't want kids imitating overtly sexual gestures on the dance floor, but I don't think "grinding' necessarily crosses that line in all instances. Too subjective. Does remind me of footloose a bit.

holding hands!!!!! how dare they!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrGLNtZ0rEg

Re: 2nd beach
Did you honestly just suggest a LAW against grinding?! Please get out of the 1920s and realize what era you and your children are living in. A law against a style of dancing is absurd and so incredibly unecessary.

As a Middletown High School Senior, I find it absolutely disgusting and vulgar as to to the way out student body was acting toward the administration. Although I do agree that grinding should not have been banded all together, thats the way it was. Students should have acted in a proper manner and respected the rules set for the themselves. The faculty and staff were volunteering their time to the students to help give us a safe and fun homecoming. How did we repay them? We mash pitted the Vice Principal and nearly knocked him to the ground, sat and protested the no grinding rule, and even called out BS. How does MHS look to the community now? We are now heavily looked down upon as a bunch of roughty kids who have no sense of respect and proper self discipline. We were told multiple times before hand that we were not to grind, yet we didn't listen. The school administration had no intentions to ruin your homecoming. They wanted everyone there to have a safe and fun time. Even after the dance was cancelled, students were told not to leave and yet they proceeded to once again not listen and exit the premises. Students need to stop blaming the school administration and take responsibility for their own actions. The students ruined their own homecoming and need to stop complaining.

Would you dance in a vulgar way, sit and protest, and call out BS to your parents or guardian? I would hope not; and if you did, maybe the parents need to take a step back and see how they've raised their children. Show the same reapect to shool administrators that you would to your parents. We need to reflect upon our actions and see what embarrassment we've brought upon our school, district, and our community as a whole.

i honestly think that the teachers had every right to cancel the dance because the children were completely out of hand. They were banging on the ground chanting B.S on four different occasions. Following these chants the students then decided to sit on the ground, as if that were going to do any good. Mind you it was practically the WHOLE student body; therefore they could not punish one person. I am a senior this year and i have never witnessed anything as mortifying as this. Once the children finally understood that there was to be no grinding at the dance they all decided that they no longer wanted to stay which caused a stampede of students rushing to the back hallway in order to grab their belongings. Although this was not planned we then had an announcement which stated that no one was to go home until our parents were notified, so if you received a phone call from a child walking home before you received a call from the school it is because your child obviously does not know how to listen to instructions. They teachers and the police then blocked the exits so that no one would escape. Now during this waiting time period i was stuck in the gym with students who were upset and constantly yelling for no reason as well as banging on the floors and the surrounding bleachers.I am sorry to say but the students behavior was uncalled for, and due to their ignorance and lack of self-control the whole school must suffer, which means that we can kiss any other activities goodbye.

As a parent of a senior, I think it is a shame that her last homecoming dance memory will be this one.From what I understand the students were warned ample times throughout the week about the no grinding policy for the dance.. However; the issue here seems not to be merely the grinding that had staff call off the dance,,but the "mini rioting" behavior that occurred before and afterwards.Students chanting this is "BS" among other expletives to faculty and teachers ,and banging on bleachers, is not acceptable ,period .Parents stop making excuses for your kids unruly and disrespectful behavior. The facts are that the students were told not to leave the school premises , until parents were called and notified of the dance cancellation.. Many students decided to leave the school regardless in "protest"., a. At this point it was not the schools responsibility but the students because they made that choice.I received a call from the school shortly after my daughter called.Students were not allowed to leave the school until parents were called,,and this was enforced by middletown police and faculty. Maybe this could have been handled better by middletown administration, and it's a lesson learned for the future, There should be a system in place to address this before it takes place. As parents we should not condone our childrens rowdy behavior and blame it all on the staf and school. We are not doing our children any favors if we donot teach them to be responsible for their actions.

this makes me sad as a mhs student, that freshman, sophomores, juniors and my senior class that they disrespect the school's authority and the staff. Completely uncalled for and i'm embarrassed to be part of the student body after this stunt

As a parent of a child that stayed in the gym, I can tell you that I received an automated call at 9:32 from the school saying the dance was over bad I should expect my child home shortly. As far as I knew, I was my child's ride so the only way he was getting home was by my four wheels. The call made it sound like they ended the dance and told the kids to go home. While my child was in the gym, he texted me and let me know he had secured another ride, but it was clearly chaos while all of this was going on. My child said the principal allowed them to leave at 9:30.

Okay, No the students didn't have to react the way that they did with the swearing and disrespecting administration, but the rules never should have been made in the first place. EVERY school has dances like this and this is how EVERY schools dances are now. No, things were not this way 20 years ago.. But they are now and you wait her need to realize and accept that fact or just deal with it. Because clearly you can't change it in the matter of one night. And as far as grinding leading to teen pregnancy... Get your facts straight, seriously. When you grind, your completely clothed and nothing is inserted anywhere. You never get calls from parents complaining "Hey! My kid Got pregnant at homecoming, you should ban grinding!" Do you? No.. Because it doesn't happen. I'm not saying that grinding is the best thing to do or anything, but if kids want to do it and look trashy, let them, it's their reputation their playing with. Parents, if you don't want your kids grinding don't let them go to the dance... Administration, stop trying to be these students parents and controlling their lives. After having a sucky choice for the week and themes of spirit week and no pep rally Leave it to MHS to cancel homecoming in the middle of the dance. For all you seniors who got screwed out of your senior year homecoming, make the best of the rest of the year and live it up.

all these parents need to stop acting like they never did anything bad.

I love some of you people posting:
Kids unruly - parents and kids blame the teachers
Kids requesting trashy, inappropriate, explicit music - parents and kids blame the DJ
DJ plays trashy, inappropriate, explicit music - parents blame DJ
Kids Grind - parents blame teachers
Kids cannot grind due to teachers and administration wanting to maintain some semblance of order and moral decency - blame the teachers
Parents not parenting; raising spoiled brats who swear at adults and cause mayhem at what should have been a fun night - blame the teachers.

High School prepares kids for real life. It's reality. If you are told not to do something or its not allowed then you don't do it. Or you pay the consequences. If and when they get jobs and their boss tells them their behavior is inappropriate see how far you get if you decide to protest. You will end up on the outside looking in just like last night. It's life! And if the "kids" today don't want to be called "kids" then act like the young adults you want to be considered. It's all about respect. There is a time and a place for everything. It wasn't a strip club they went to it was a High School dance.

First of all, if your going to post on here and your a student, don't type like you have a 4th grade education. It's only a wonder what children are learning in school these days. Or more so, it's a wonder some children are even smart enough to be in school these days. Alas, I believe it to be both parties fault. It bothers me deeply that kids are so boring and uncreative that the only way they can have fun is humping each other. And it also concerns me that administrators, the supposed guardians of these children at the time, would not only allow, but force children out into the streets at night by theirselves. I believe both parties should apologize and refunds should be permitted. But that probably wouldn't happen either because everyone seems to be acting like "children." This problem will only escalate as time moves on. Also, I would like to say its really unfair for those who did not participate in the ridiculousness. These innocents would have had to buy a ticket and possibly new clothes. All of their expenses would have gone to waste because of a problem they did not cause nor promote. I honestly can not wait to see what happens next.

By the way "Middletown parent" the DJ did not accept any song requests therefore the students are not to blame for the music choice, also no one is blaming the teachers for the grinding. As a student that attended the dance I can honestly say that there was barely any grinding and the so-called "riot" was a reaction by the student body to multiple new rules and regulations that made this years spirit week the worst myself and many other students have ever participated in. Please educate yourself on the situation more before you judge the students, parents or any administration.

who knew... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s21sg0goqM&feature=related

In life all over the world,there are rules everyone lives by and must obey.If you brake the rules,you pay the price,whatever it may be.The school had set rules,they were broken,so you must pay the price,next dance, go by the rules and the dance will be a success.very simple.

Re: Grammar Police
It's funny how you put your name for the Middletown Patch as "Grammar Police" but can't piece together a simple sentence.

Haha atleast for the first time in our school the whole student body did something together instead of fighting and arguing so I'm proud and it was a pretty exciting night

You caught me being facetious. It's really hard to control.

It's sad to see so many people harping on the fact that "these are the rules and they need to learn to obey rules". When a large group stands up against one rule, maybe there's something to think about. Who's really wrong? Your kids will be leading some uneventful and unproductive lives if they never break a rule they don't believe in, or at the very least question it.

I have provided music for High School dances for over thirty years The grinding as it is now termed is nothing new. This is just another DIRTY DANCING incident and just another page in the age old generation war. Watch out M.H.S. administration your age is showing.How about the next time someone misbehaves at a football game we cancel the game send everyone home! I'll bet the Players start a chant of their own on the field.. The proper way to handle a "grinding situation" is to target the worst offenders and pull them aside, warn them... eject them...detention? But you cannot micro manage a school dance like this without creating a social disturbance. This whole thing was mishandled by the administration. As for the phone messages sent out on Sunday that seems to be little more than damage control. My grandson was there and never even got to dance with his date the plug was pulled that quick!! By the way how do you think a decision like this would have gone over back in the 60's/70's? I feel bad for our kids who will have this as thier homecoming memory. MAYBE NEXT YEAR THEY CAN BRING HOSES IN

Does a MHS Code of Conduct exist?
My understanding is that students were warned prior to the dance not to “grind” and if they did they would be ejected from the dance. How many students were asked to leave the dance?
Was there an understanding that there would be further disciplinary action taken against those student?

Further, I’d like to make a suggestion…. Perhaps the issue of defining appropriate dance behavior should be reviewed by both the School Administration and Student Body. Then establish a Code of Conduct which clearly defines disciplinary actions to be taken when a student breaks the rules…. That way all parties know the rules upfront. I would go as far as supporting a vote on the matter that included students, parents, teachers and staff. The ballot should be simple and address the issue of “grinding” and could be sent home with students to review and discuss with their parents before casting their votes…. At least we could start a dialogue and turn this into a positive learning experience for all parties. Let’s not forget that at the core of this protest was the students desire to have a voice…. Yes, it grew out of control and into a somewhat unruly mob… but we need to focus on the original intent of the protest.

Yikes!!! So glad I'm done raising kids! Too many kids today have no respect for themselves, each other or authority.

Who puts a rule on dancing? Are you kidding me?! Isn't this a public school? Sounds to me like MHS is a tyranny. What next females have to come to school completely covered like in middle eastern countries. I'm not condoning this dancing, by all means I completely think its wrong. However; I think it's the kids/child's/young adults right to choose how he or she wants to be perceived. The faculty should worry more about teaching these students morals and ethics and life lessons and less about creating a tyranny of rules. What next? Cheerleaders can't wear their traditional attire because one student might get aroused. OH NO!!! Put every cheerleader in baggy sweatpants and sweatshirts!! Get real. Teach this kids life lessons. If you want to be perceived as a no class grinding fe/male, keep it up. If your willing to accept that than that is not anyone's prerogative but that students and his/her parents. Teachers teach, principals manage, janitors clean, parents parent(some anyhow). Keep it simple. Some students will thrive, others will not. "The world needs ditch diggers too!" You can only help those who wish to help themselves.

Haha just wait til you send your kids college... You'll wish all their doing is grinding

Haha just wait til you send your kids college... You'll wish all their doing is grinding

I graduated from MHS in 2010 and I remember the "no grinding" rule back then too. Except, everyone did it and, honestly, it is not that big of a deal...The 'grinding' occurring at high school dances is pretty tame in comparison to what you see in music videos these days or, from recent experience, in clubs. So, not only did the administration overreact (because we all did it and our dance wasn't shut down) but the fact that they let kids leave without supervision says a lot about the responsibility and maturity of the MHS employees. I personally would rather find out that my child was dancing inappropriately and got in trouble than find out that they were released from a dance without supervision and got themselves into much worse trouble. Quite frankly, I vividly remember being in High School because it wasn't that long ago and let me tell you, a lot more can happen unsupervised in an hour and a half than can in four hours at a school dance with teachers around. MHS needs to stop worrying about the dancing that is going on and take some responsibility for the fact that they messed up by letting a bunch of kids leave without transportation or supervision, which unfortunately says more about the character of the principal than that of the students.

Overall, I find everything that happened pointless. I do not grind. I find it quite a vulgar act. Now think about it. All these kids protesting the right to grind. They're protesting sticking their rear ends into someone else's crotch to get a sexual arousal or even just because its considered "cool." They're protesting to forbid in front of their teachers and administrators. I mean really? Such a sexual act seems as though it should be fairly private and saved for home; or rather the bedroom. Adults do not want to see the kids they teach everyday humping each other in a ghastly manor. It's like going in the middle of a busy sidewalk and proceeding with you're vulgar acts. It's a very public place. You wouldn't do it there would you? So why would you dance dispicably in front of police officers, teachers, school administrators, parent volunteers etc. protesting this act is just all to silly and makes the kids, and dare I say it, my fellow classmates look like they have no respect for themselves or for the others around them. Please, grow a few morals.

Everyone should just calm down. I am a student myself but I live in California (I used to live in Rhode Island). At my school grinding is done by everyone if teachers say its ok or not. Not because they don't listen but because its just a dance and that is a way they can express themselves. I didn't go to the dance so i wouldn't know exactly what happened so I am not going to say much about it. I also think that all the kids and parents who are worried about the school not contacting all the parents in time need to stop crying. If you are a kid who is in high school you should be responsible enough to find a way to contact a parent or friend who could take you home. Its not all the schools fault. Also for anyone that works at the school you should realize that making kids take a breathalyzer test before a dance is just way to much. kids go to get away from home and all the rules there parents might have not to just have more rules. Finally I would like to say that even if a few students were not following the rules it was still homecoming and it was a night that everyone should have been able to have fun. Instead they got a night of disappointment. That's all i have to say on this subject.

Well this is a... long conversation. I would like to hit this matter where it hurts. Yeah, im a student and i was there Saturday night. So for all those who rest behind your monitor screens and blindly trust in what the administration tells you, let me just shed a little light on this topic... People like you hate the youth. Let me make something idely clear, the grinding your generation preformed, like what? 69 years ago? okay, well that grinding literally simulated sex. Front to front grinding led to simulated sex on the dance floor. Okay, we're not out of control. I'd say we're finally fed up with the now Abromitis Dictatorship. And for those students comenting on here like we're all saints, shut up because we were anything but. Yeah, i'll say it, the students fucked up. We chanted bullshit at our principal, and for all those who'd throw Zoe Simanski under the bus, just hold on. Do you really expect the student class president to let us grind? What example is that? At least someone had some decency. People that were her 'friends' turned against her that night. For the final summary, we're in High School. We have tensions that could and most likely should have been allowed to semi-release saturday, but were not. Accept the things we cannot change and be respectful.

Bottom line ... The students acted more like four year olds . These High School students knew the rules going in and broke them , we have rules everywhere that we all agree or disagree with , but we follow them . If you dont like the rules of the dance , dont attend the dance . With that said as a Parent , i do see a problem with the way the dance was ended . In my opinion and by the way , i wasnt there , so i cannot judge how out of hand these students were, the students who did not abide by the rules should have had there parents called for breaking the MHS dance rule . At that time them students would have been escorted out by staff and released to the parents as a four year old would at day care . Its ashame that these children acted so dispespectful at there own dance. I feel that now there may need to be more rules on how these children should be dealt with for breaking rules at the dances . These kids need to look at them selves and for reason why all this occured , the MHS staff made all this clear before the dance and the students did not pay attention. As far as the breath test , i also agree with that , the student from Califonia writing his comment must of never heard of a parent losing a child due to drinking before during or after a dance and then driving , kids this is why there are rules! Get over it , and follow the rules.

I was driving on Valley Road that evening around 9:30 PM and saw what was the real "unsafe behavior". A large group of teenagers walking, half on the sidewalk, the other half walking on the ROADWAY, side by side, in dark clothing and low lighting leaving the dance. I had to swerve to the extreme left of my lane to avoid them as I came around a curve in the road. Good thing I was going below the speed limit or my swerve would have been too late!

Isn't it funny how people can create a fake alias to hide their true identity and complain on Patch?! (like myself!!) Kids, responsible teenagers, adults, whatever a 14-18 year old individual prefers to call themself, know how to cheat the system. Touch one of them, call them a name, insinuate anything other than what is socially acceptable and you can expect to get arrested and lose your job. This is what society has created and good luck going back. As a graduate of MHS and one of the ring leaders to making our "administrators" create these rules for dances, things have gone a little too far. Breathalyzers are simply there so your under-age son/daughter does not do anything illegal. And if they are foolish enough to break the law they will suffer the consequences on an individual basis. As a parent you better hope not because if it comes back to them stealing from you well then... My condolences! I think we need to come to terms with the "grinding" issue. These kids simply don't <--see it? Here, I’ll emphasize, DON'T know how to dance. This is not even close to the grinding you would see in the club. They have no idea where to even start. They huddle in groups, boys on one side girls on the other and they talk smack on what they would do if given the chance.

Whether the kids want to accept it or not the administration is only trying to protect them with these "rules" Remember Charlie Chaves, Chantel Bailey, and Dan Roman? Great people, locals, who died too young. RIP

You're ok with breathalyzers? So alcohol is the only thing your concerned about? I've had friends lose children to drunk driving. I've had friends killed by drunk drivers. I pray every day my daughter comes home safe. But no matter how many breathalyzers you put out their, kids will still hurt/kill themselves. If not alcohol, the maybe bath salts, synthetic or real marijuana. Mushrooms, whatever they can get their hands on. So what next?! Urine and hair follicle testing at the door? Come on. The problem is as a society we look to blame someone for something. God forbid we take responsibility for our or our children's actions. Educate your children, show them what a traumatic death looks like. Whatever it takes for them to make good decisions. Stop leaving it up to teachers and principals. PARENT YOUR OWN CHILDREN!!!! Too many parents rely on schools to teacher their children the facts of life. Not the answer. I'm a dad, that's my job and her mothers. I should decide what's in my child's best interest and implant those rules in their brains. A childs actions are a product of his/her own environment. Surround them with good people, good morals, good education, and good parenting and let them make the right decision. All this is teaching our children is that when something goes wrong, blame someone else!

i just wana grinddddddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not true . There are so many children raised in these so called "good atmospheres " , that do bad things , that's why preventive measures are increasing every year . Im sure every parent has a different veiw on this and it is not the only issue i discussed in my comment , but i did say it is my opinion , so you have the right to your own . Now , if the kids are grown up in a not so good environment and end up drinking and then cause problems at the school dance or end up being killed and killing innocent kids in a car accident when it could have been prevented by a breat test , yes , i am all for it . I do agree that it doesnt hurt for the parents to raise there kids in the manner that your speaking , but not all of them are , so preventive measures are okay by me , sorry you feel the way you do . Because that could be your kid saved by that breath test.
Also there is so much peer pressure at that age , and i think the disrespect should be dealt with consequences , just my opinion . I agree this shouldnt be on the teachers, but the students , but i also feel there should be guidelines in place for disciplinary action for rules that are broken to where the many dont pay for the actions of a few.

me and kanye r going to go ggrrrrrinnnnnnnndddddddddd to his song mercy

The police were at the dance were they not. Professionals that make a living keeping the streets safe? So I trust that those professionals will continue to do the outstanding job they have in the past and ensure my daughter gets home safe. My point is these schools have developed a "marshal law" of sorts which becoming over the top. We hire police details to ensure the "altered" children are held responsible for their actions. Unfortunately their punishments are far too light in my opinion. But to hold the whole for the bad decisions of the few isn't fair. If my child drinks, throw her in a cell and let her sober up there, let her think about her disrespect in a cold cell block. But don't punish your child for behaving and acting like a responsible person.

I am an MHS alumni from 1970. This sounds like an issue of power,control and fear mixed together. Teens will react poorly if the boundaries are too constricted. And pregnancy isn't going to be stopped by dance restrictions.
Maybe all the adults should take a step back and remember your own teen years.
There is a much better way to communicate all of this.
It is a blatant microcosm of our culture's swing to antiquated, judgmental and desperate attempts to go "back" to a time that no longer exists.

We need to be examples to our youth. Not tyrants or finger waggers.
I'm appalled at the lack of care or support shown by the adults who caused this to occur.

Teens are supposed to rebel. Against healthy boundaries.
They will revolt against unreasonable ones.

Take a comminication class and learn how to listen and be heard properly.

MHS was my salvation and if it was run like it is today? I wouldn't want to be in this kind if atmosphere.

There is no reason for this polarization. Take a look within and start from there.

Did you all forget that these adults volunteer their time so the students can have a safe and enjoyable evening of entertainment???? I think there should be as many parent volunteers as teacher/staff volunteers so that they (the parents) can have a wake up call and see exactly what type of dancing and behavior their "children" are exhibiting. I would not blame the teacher/staff personel if they never volunteered to attend another school function. How dare you second guess these people if you were not there. I would like you all to to try to tell a "mob" of teeagers not to do something that they have their minds set on doing....it's not about protesting rules, it is about respect, for adults, and yourself!

The right thing to do for the kids, is to hold the dance over. I personally would be willing to volunteer to help out - I'm sure other Middletown residents would do the same. Otherwise this will be a non-ending tennis volley. How can we get this started, instead of playing this blame game.

Im just reeding this four the gramer!!

It sad had to come to this but the rules are rules it spelled out in the schools policy the teens that were causing the problem direspecting their teachers should go before the principal and apologize for behavior to make it right for there well behaved peers. These teachers are the ones that will be given references and college recommadations to see there students grinding and acting direspectful just blows that image.

Hands up for the students whom recognized it as out of control and spoke it. The school and volunteers took time out of their lives to provide a place for kids to have fun. They were treated poorly. I would say I'm done as well. Even kids are saying they were told not to leave. Again abused the time taken for them and turn around and blame staff and volunteers. It is called being bullies.

So where does this leave the seniors for the remainder of the year? other dances? spirit activites? senior lounge? Not all the kids who were there or not, were party to this questionable behavior. Where does this leave them? How do we as a school community put closure to this and productively move forward?

Portsmouth pulled a pre-planned stunt like this last year and the emphasis was on the dress code. It's another example of how teachers get to express that they only work during core hours and should be bowed to should they stay past 3:00 pm. This is the best paid part time job in America. If teachers can't control kids after hours, what happens during school hours? Is this the best option?

If any of the right minded Middletown Parents or students are reading this... why don't you have your own dances? I don't think this school deserves the amount of revenue that is brought in by these dances if the school continues to handle it like this.

The dance was cancelled due to the students protesting , or the few caught grinding would have been removed. The supervision behaved inappropriately. Not the students. They are, after all, children.

I Believe that most high school age kids actually do want limits set for them whether they will admit to this or not. I'm sure that there were some students at the dance who did indeed feel uncomfortable with the grinding. It was right of the school administrator to stop the dance when the students refused to stop the objectionable behavior.

However, the students should not be released without parents notification in advance.

Good to see the principal and staff held the students accountable for their actions .

An anonymous poet once wrote, "Teachers leave their signature on the hearts and minds of our children." Unfortunately, many teachers today simply leave the profession all together. This whole debacle in Middletown clearly helps us to understand why.

To all of the parents and adults basing their accusations solely on what they have heard about the grinding: that was only a small part of the reasoning behind the protesting. The so called riot happened because of the dramatic increase of rules placed on the students. After all, we are young adults. If we firmly believe that something is wrong, we will stand up for what is right. So please do not act like you know everything that happened if you were not there. The news does not always tell the entire story. Think before you judge.
And to the parents and adults insulting the kids while using bad grammar: you might want to consider brushing up on your basic English skills. It doesn't help to emphasize your point whatsoever.

When i heard this story i was shocked because i went to Middletown High school and nothing has happened like this at all in the past homecomings. I think it was wrong to have such strict rules this is the time were students come together have fun and dance, whats wrong with that. Grinding is fine to an extent if you are going down on all fours then you should punish the student not everyone. Also Middletown High School is not a private school it is public from what i've heard Middletown is not the way i remember it. I think it is terrible that there was a sit in. Right when the sit in happened i think parents should have been notified about what was going on that is out of control when students take action like that. I obviously was not there, but i can't believe something like this even happened at Middletown High School. All i have to say is Homecoming is suppose to be fun not a place to confine students and make them dance to music they can't even enjoy listening to.

I simply don't understand the level of fervor over the kids being turned loose from the dance. Yes, I have kids.....one is 17 and one is 20. They can be trusted out of my sight for a little while...lol. Jeez....when I was a teenager most of us found our own way to the dance and home. They aren't babies, folks. They aren't going to die if they have to wait a little while for a ride.

Kids today are very disrespectful period. It's only getting worse. It is even evident here when they try to post and look even more disrespectful. Kudos to the school, these kids need to learn. They are only going to be a drain on society if they don't learn some manners. There are many students that act accordingly and I tribute that to good parenting. Keep up the good work MHS leadership.

This situation with the Homecoming dance at MHS is AWESOME. It's a Trifecta of Failure, a real window on the culture. In this case, not one group - students, teachers or parents - did anything right. Let's blame the teachers and administration for failing to keep control of a high school dance, the parents who complained that they were inconvenienced when the dance ended abruptly, and the students for being vile, trashy, cursing punks. Does that cover everyone? It's liberal policies and Oprah parenting come together as one big, fat, disappointment -but if you were paying attention, you already knew how this particluar dance would end.

I agree that nobody did anything right. However, we're liberal folks, don't practice authoritarian parenting, and mingle with like-minded people. Our kids are really enjoyable to be around, and so are their friends. They don't dress like thugs or skanks. They respect their friends and their friends families. They can hold intelligent conversations with adults. Are they perfect? No. They still balk at being told what to do, don't clean up after themselves, and all the other typical teen stuff. But they don't dry-hump each other in public, for one thing. I believe that behavior is caused by too much exposure to media and not enough quality time with quality people. Kids spend most of their time with their teachers and their peers. It's difficult for a single teacher to positively influence all of his/her students. The kid/adult ratio is simply too high for that. Kids learn much by interacting with their peers; good AND bad. I honestly think it's authoritarian parenting that creates the lousiest children. Parents who don't really talk with their children, but talk (or yell) AT their children. "Do as I say, not as I do" parents. Parents who demand respect but don't give it, nor truly earn it. Their kids simply don't want to be around them. When I was in the military, I was taught that respect goes "up and down the chain of command." This should apply to families, as well. Children are people. Treat them like punks, and don't be surprised at what you get.

I'm speechless after reading all of this! Wow!!

Involve the parents in prom planning and monitoring. Nut give them training on how not to be intrusive, and make sure the school officials are in charge. Stamford, CT did this years ago.

Without parental involvement the dance issue becomes a power struggle in which each side refuses to budge, grievances are multiplied, exaggerated language becomes common, useless blaming goes on and on, etc.

BRICK SQUADDDD

Sounds like they need to learn how to dance.

yo that dance was dope af