DHS To Review Homecoming

Principal Lauri McKain said a committee will review last week's homecoming and events that included pranks -- a student brought a chicken to school -- and .

"As we usually do with big events, we will debrief the week and seek out areas for improvement," McKain wrote in response to a Patch email with questions. "The student leadership will debrief with students, and I will ask the DHS School Leadership Team to form a homecoming subcommittee to review the activities this year and suggest changes where needed."

But the school still embraces homecoming, she wrote.

"We do not have any plans to cancel homecoming. We believe it is an important tradition in our community."

On the fowlest event of the weekend, McKain wrote: "Yes, as a prank a kid brought a chicken. It was caught within a minute of it being here and returned to its owner."

McKain confirmed a float used in the Friday afternoon homecoming parade was vandalized.

"It was being housed overnight at a student's house," she wrote. "I was told a group of students broke in and a police report was filed. I do not know what has happened as a result. A student and her father were able to clean it all off so it was able to be in the parade Fri afternoon. In fact, it was a lovely float and won the class competition for best float."

The event that got the most attention occurred at the Friday night homecoming game against Twiggs County, a small school near Macon.

An adult spectator was arrested .

Dean Rodney of Trinity Place, Decatur, was charged with disorderly conduct. Because of the arrest and because players were fighting, too, referees stopped the game with 8:52 left in the fourth quarter. Decatur won 48-0.

According to a Decatur police incident report, Dean told officers he "acted spontaneously due to seeing his son (a Decatur player) shoved by a larger size Twiggs County player after the play had ended. Rodney admitted he knew he should not have been on the field but had an emotional moment."

Nobody else was charged. Four players – Decatur’s Rodrick Adams and three players from Twiggs County – were suspended for the next two games.

McKain wrote, "The officials took care of the issue, which is their role. We were up by 48 points, and with 8:52 remaining, the officials and coaches met and decided to end the game early."

A juvenile student from Decatur High was arrested after a Decatur High player's cell phone was stolen from the locker room during the game. The juvenile was released to his parents and the officer planned to file charges of theft by receiving stolen property. The phone was returned to the player.

Decatur is now 3-5 and plays Clarkston at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Decatur Stadium. It's Senior Night.