Boy Suspended Over Michael Jackson Dance at Catholic School
A Catholic school in Minnesota suspended a 9-year-old boy for his Michael Jackson rendition during a fundraiser.
Lenny Boberg, 9, was performing Michael Jackson's song, "Billie Jean" at a fundraiser for St. Stanislaus Elementary School in Winona, Minn., according to the La Crosse Tribune. After repeatedly mimicking Jackson's famous groin grab move, Winona Area Catholic School's Principal Pat Bowlin informed Boberg's mother that he was being suspended.
According to his mother, Mindy Boberg, Principal Bowlin approached her after her son's performance to tell her that his performance constituted gross misconduct.
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She said that her family met Monday morning with Bowlin, the Rev. Richard Colletti and Marsha Stenzel, to discuss her son's suspension.
At the meeting, she was informed that Lenny's suspension would be reversed and he would receive an apology. He will also be able to make up any work he missed during the suspension. Boberg was more than satisfied with the reversal, according to the La Crosse Tribune.
"They seemed to think that we wanted more out of it," Boberg said. "All we wanted was Lenny back in school. If it had been dealt with appropriately Thursday, it wouldn't have been a big deal."
She added that she only wanted the wrong righted and for her son to feel like he was treated with respect.
Stenzel has said that the suspension was never meant to be indefinite, as the family first thought. She plans to meet with the Boberg family again next week.
"We are going to take our time and pray about it and get our facts together," Stenzel said.
Mindy Boberg said she was surprised by the amount of publicity she got and is happy her son is able to return to classes.
"We just wanted Lenny to go back to school and to make sure he knows that people can't treat you that way," Boberg said.
