A lot of parents got upset after some students of the Notre Dame Prep Catholic high school in Scottsdale, Arizona pulled some religious pranks at a football game, which included the vandalism of a Virgin Mary statue as well as a dancing Jesus Christ mascot.
The pranks were staged last week before the school's Friday night football game against Desert Mountain, according to the Catholic News Agency. Some students thought it would be hilarious to place a mask of Hillary Clinton over the Virgin Mary's face, and they even attached a sex toy down on the statue.
"It's beyond offensive. There's nothing worse than to desecrate an image of [Mary]," says parent Lisa Gregory. "It's probably high school hi jinks, but [the vandal] needs to understand that it was bigotry and intolerance. He probably doesn't realise that."
The mask and sex toy were quickly removed and replaced by a vase of flowers. But the students did not leave the parents enough time to fume against their prank because another one started right after. Parents were shocked anew after someone dressed as Jesus paraded on the football field. Someone also dressed up like the devil, and both mascots started dancing together.
"Jesus isn't a mascot. He's a religious figure," Gregory says. They complained about the shocking display to the security guard, but the pranks continued well throughout the game.
"He was dancing with the devil and mocking what we as Christians consider holy and sacred," another parent named Mike Williams says.
Williams does not blame the students for the pranks, and thinks school officials are at fault for not controlling the shocking displays. "Kids are young and dumb and make mistakes, but if you can't pray in a public school, you shouldn't be able to mock [Jesus] in a public school," he says.
When sought for a comment, the school failed to provide any.
