Red heads beware

Canoe Weird News



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ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland teachers were told to be on "heightened alert" Thursday after the province's largest school board warned them about an unusual prank targeting red-headed students that may have been inspired by the popular animated TV show "South Park."

The Eastern School District advised principals and teachers to be on the lookout for violent attacks against red-haired youths after it became aware that Thursday was "Kick a Ginger Day," according to several groups on the social networking website Facebook.

Tony Stack, a principal for St. Peter's Junior High School in Mount Pearl, N.L., said a few parents contacted his school to warn him after stumbling upon the Facebook group pages. Stack said he then contacted the school board, which sent a notice to other principals earlier this week.

"Some of the students did tell me today that they were aware of it and they had a level of apprehension about it," Stack said.

"They felt a little bit more comfortable knowing that the adults in the community . . . were aware of it and that we were discussing it openly to prevent it."

Several schools reported receiving phone calls from concerned parents about the alleged event, Eastern School District spokeswoman Mary Tucker said.

It's not clear where the idea for such a day originated. But the school board pointed to a recent South Park episode where the potty-mouthed character Cartman delivers a class presentation on "Ginger kids," referring to red-haired, freckled children as suffering from an incurable disease.

The concern for student safety was not relegated to Newfoundland. Several groups promoting the cause of kicking people with red hair popped up on Facebook, including one with more than 4,700 members from across Canada.

In Flin Flon, Man., an elementary school principal said he met earlier this week with a mother concerned for the safety of her son after he came upon one of the Facebook group pages.

Const. Kevin Foley of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary applauded the Eastern School District's proactive stance on the matter and said late Thursday he heard of no complaints about violent incidents.

"The Eastern School District took action and we believe that the action that was taken by them was appropriate for the situation," Foley said.

"Any time that there's a threat of violence, no matter how it comes about, it's always a concern."

But Sarah Colborne-Penney, a parent with three children attending schools in the Eastern School District, questioned the wisdom behind the school board's warning.

"It was unusual and I think it was probably unnecessary," Colborne-Penney said, adding that the school board already has a student safety policy.

"I think that by drawing attention to it and issuing a specific warning probably created a stir and created more interest in this day than would have occurred."

The Eastern School District manages 122 schools with approximately 44,000 students and 3,800 teaching and support staff.
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