School officials say there was “an error in judgment” when a student in a gorilla costume appeared on the sideline of a recent football game at a Cincinnati high school.
Photos and video of the scene appeared on social media over the weekend, showing someone in a gorilla costume apparently dragging on child on the sidelines of the field at Harrison High School. At the same time, other students were spotted with signs that read “RIP Harambe,” referencing the 17-year-old great ape killed in May after a 3-year-old boy got into his enclosure.
But Southwest Local School District Superintendent John Hamstra said the student in the costume was playing catch with a child during a 90-minute weather delay when the photos were taken. He noted that the gorilla costume has been worn by students for years as “a kind of alter-mascot.”
“We fully support the zoo. We have the best zoo right here in our backyard and we don’t take that lightly whatsoever,” Hamstra said. “It wasn’t meant to be a skit or a slam on the zoo whatsoever. It was something that was completely blown up.”
He added that “all [students] that were involved have been addressed and are extremely remorseful.”
“There was an error in judgment this year due to the sensitivity of the issue,” he said. “The student’s remorseful and they fully understand the sensitivity of the issue at this point.”
Pray for Harambe
Harrison high school is famous for this now and I'm ok with that. @ohmalia @ChrisSharpie11 https://t.co/bWUzHhUr1P
— Hanna Voss (@Flossy_Vossy) August 30, 2016
Lmaooooo pic.twitter.com/jwdA7Vgf9V
— Because I'm a Guy (@CauseWereGuys) August 28, 2016
He lives #HarambeIsBack pic.twitter.com/NU5KsLXIeV
— Dan Maduri (@DanMaduri) August 27, 2016
Local
News of the incident comes just after the Cincinnati Zoo deactivated its Twitter accounts after being targeted by online critics and trolls over the shooting of the gorilla.
The zoo has said it was not amused by the memes, online petitions and signs about Harambe. Harambe has been mourned, memorialized and satirized nearly continuously since his death.
Zoo director Thane Maynard had previously told the Associated Press that the zoo family is “still healing” and is “honoring Harambe by redoubling our gorilla conservation efforts and encouraging others to join us.”
The zoo reopened its gorilla exhibit in June with a higher, reinforced barrier.
The county prosecutor concluded no charges were warranted after the boy scampered off from his mother, got though some bushes and fell about 15 feet into a shallow moat. The special response team shot the agitated gorilla to protect the boy, who was treated for scrapes.
Animal rights activists and other critics said the shooting could have been avoided.
