9 students suspended for 'Harlem Shake'

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Nine Union High School students have been suspended for doing the "Harlem Shake" during class.

The students were suspended for two days after filming the dance on Thursday morning when they were supposed to be studying for the ACTs in a sociology class.

The "Harlem Shake" is a YouTube dance craze. In the past month, everyone from the Today show to students across the country have recorded their versions and uploaded them online.

One suspended student said the video was harmless fun, but the Grand Rapids Public Schools administration disagrees.

"[It was] just a video trying to have some fun in school. Only a couple minutes, and we end up getting two days off," said Luis Romero.

The two days off, Romero is referring to, is the two-day suspension the students received. Despite the punishment, Romero, 16, stands by the video he stood behind the camera to create.

"Everybody obviously knows the 'Harlem Shake,' and it was the first time they did it at Union [High School] and it was pretty interesting," said Romero.  "I put it up on Facebook and it got more than 100 likes, and started going around -- everybody started saying, 'Oh look at the 'Harlem Shake' that they did at Union.'"

==Watch: The Union High School Harlem Shake video (courtesy)==

Romero said the students asked the substitute teacher for permission before making the video in class.

"Everybody was like, 'Hey, miss, can we do the Harlem Shake? It's only 30 seconds and it will probably just take us a minute to make it.' And she was like, 'OK. As long as you guys get your work done, you guys can do it and keep it down.' So that's what we did," Romero said.

He also claims it took only a few minutes of the class' time -- after that he said the class went back to work studying.  

"It's not really inappropriate. We're just having fun trying to make a cool video everybody would like, he said.

But not everybody likes it.  

"They knew. [The students] knew that this was not a good idea. It's unfortunate that they took it this far," GRPS spokesman John Helmholdt said.

Helmholdt said the suspensions were for everything from dress code violations to breaching of the code of conduct.  

"Disruptive activity, inappropriate conduct, inappropriate use of technology --and the list goes on," said Helmholdt.

And though Helmholdt didn't think the substitute teacher gave permission, he says that teacher will no longer sub at GRPS.  

"That would be very surprising [if the substitute gave permission]. It's not something I'm aware of, but regardless the substitute teacher in that room is also responsible for the management of that room," said Helmholdt. "Therefore that substitute teacher will no longer be teaching in this district."

Helmholdt said the substitute did not come forward and tell administrators about the dance. Rather, they had to find out through other sources.  

That teacher was sent home Friday while she was subbing for the same sociology class.

"This was just extremely poor judgment," he said. "It was one of those situations where they're now an example of what not to do."

Helmholdt also said that it appears the students used a combination of the students' personal technology and district technology to pull the video off, but he doesn't have all the details.

Students in Milford were recently suspended for performing it in class. Additionally, the FAA is investigating an incident in which it was done on an airplane.