Education

Virginia teen suspended over ‘Banana Man’ prank

September 20th, 2011 by | Permalink

Banana Man gets suspended

A young teen in Stafford, Virginia, found himself arrested and subsequently suspended from school after what he thought was an innocent stunt involving a banana costume.

Brian Thompson, 14, donned the costume and ran down the sidelines at a recent football game at Colonial Forge High School. But while fans in the stands found it amusing, school officials were rather peeved.

Next thing Thompson knew, he was being handcuffed by police and was placed in a squad car for “being disruptive,” FOX5 reports.

While Thompson didn’t wind up in jail, he did end up suspended from school for 10 days, after Thompson’s mother said the school principal told her that her son was “creating mayhem.”

The young aspiring rap artist thought it was a “harmless prank,” and his mother told Fox that she thinks the school suspended Brian because he’s autistic which “results in impulsiveness.”

Fellow students are reportedly standing behind “Banana Man” on Facebook and YouTube, with some wearing t-shirts reading “Free Banana Man.” The school failed to see the humor in the shirts, and took them away along with issuing Saturday detentions to the students that wore them.

One student told Fox that the school should apologize to Brian, who was “just trying to make it fun at halftime.”

Watch the video of Brian’s Banana Man stunt below (language warning) — do you think it was worthy of the punishment he received?

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  • Shemar

    It was totally worth it.VA is such a boring state.It was harmless.Theirs nothing that says he violated school rules.It was Classic Entertainment.He was having fun.Hes different, which is good.No one got hurt.Honestly I support him.#FreeBananaMan

  • Pat

    This was after school; these school officials should lighten up and allow the kids some fun. There was nothing happening, it has half time and a kid runs around the perimiter of the field in a banana suit and they respond as if it’s a criminal act. Get a life, School Officials; don’t you rmember the silly things you did when you were a kid just for a laugh?
    Kids will do dumb, fun things and if a little run around the football perimiter can’t be allowed…which comes next? Don’t laugh, don’t think, don’t walk differently.
    #Free Banana Man

  • MS

    So I guess now we have to worry about officials, teachers, principles being the bully!?

    Poor kid. He just started his freshman year. Im a parent and this is a disgrace to our schools and how adults treat our children.

    To my knowledge, this school year Colonial Forge just got a new principle who was behind the 10 day suspension. Well looks like the principle will not be liked by many students and parents.

    This kid deserves a national media apology and a clean record so he can enter a good college!

    The kid was just having good ol fun! No one got hurt except “banana man”. It does not matter if hes autistic or not. We all are human. STOP THE MADNESS PEOPLE!

  • ky

    Send the school official who gave Banana Man a hard time to a stone quarry and let the make little marbles out ot 5 metric tons of stone with a small hammer as a reward for intolerance and stupidity. They do not belong into the school system.
    Look for a sewer cleaning up job!

  • Anna for banana

    All though that is awsome and I wish I had the lady balls to do that I mean they don’t know that he’s harmless when it’s happening, and bein so close to DC you have to be catious

    IT’S THE MAIN EVENT!

  • Banana Split

    what a shame.. I just read the letter that was sent to the students mother.. After reading it I realized that whoever wrote the letter didnt have the balls to sign the letter.. glad my child will not be at thisschool with this coward of a principal

  • Tammy

    The School is being a bunch of anal pricks… The kid was just having fun at the football game… i’m glad that my kids do not attend that school…

  • The Mongoose

    This kid wasn’t suspended because he ran onto the field in a banana suit. He’s being suspended because when he was being escorted off the field he cussed out an assistant principal, in an effort to impress onlooking students I’m sure. When a Sheriff’s Deputy was called to help escort him away, the kid continued his tirade against the law enforcement official. That’s when the eager young scholar was handcuffed and place in the squad car. His mother has said he’s only been in trouble one other time so far this school year. It’s only the 3rd week of school boys and girls, and he’s already been in trouble for something else? As for the “free banana man” campaign among other students, it cute for about two seconds. Until they start throwing bananas at each other in halls and stopping on them and making a fair mess of the school. They’re supposed to be there to learn, not protest on behalf of some kid who probably will end up in an alternative setting before he ever graduates. Wake up folks. You’re opinions of this kid are being manipulated by giving you only half of the story.

  • Mothershoe

    Hmmmmm The Mongoose, are you the AP or Principle? I’m thinking yes because you are the only one that I have seen on over 1000 posts that are giving negative detail. If you are you need to know that there are hundreds of parents from Colonial Forge who believe that this administration over reacted terribly! How about laughing with everyone and then actually going over to talk to Bryan. Let him know that this will not be allowed again and if it does happen with him or any other student that they will be suspended. And as for the bananas at school and shirts? I would have called several of my lawyer friends and taken action. It amazes me that students are allowed to wear that communist terrorist Venezuelan’s picture on a t-shirt at school (which I have seen a few times in the halls) but they are not allowed to support a fellow student that they feel has been treated unfair. This administration could have turned this into a positive situation but now it is everywhere on the internet and news. There is ZERO support for this new Principle on blogs and posts. Time to get some real “commonsense” advice if she wants to be more then a 1 term (year) Principle. Us parents would like to support her through the years but not when zero commonsense has been used. Do the right thing and do what Pres. O did with the Police Officer in DC…have a Pepsi Summit (instead of beer of course). Time to say “I screwed up and want to make it right” that’s what us parents do :O)

  • suz

    harmless fun. People are ridiculous !! Like they never did anything like this. People are way too uptight anymore. Shame on the school. Im disappointed.

  • Dole

    Free banana man!!!!

  • Reggie

    With the level of intelligence of the people running our schools now, it is very little wonder the principal felt it necessary to break this lively student. I’m surprised she isn’t having him executed. Banana Man… forever!

  • ryan

    Hey Mongoose, you’re right!
    They did only tell you half of the story!
    The other half is that this particular kid is high functioning autistic. Often times whith these kids behaving how our society views to be correct in social situations is extremely confusing and challenging. They should cut him a break, make him stay away from after school activities if they have to, but why take him out of school. This shows that thsi school has no interest in understanding people with special needs.

 
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