Students expelled from Turkish school for dancing Harlem Shake in classroom

ISTANBUL

Screen captured from a Youtube Harlem Shake video.

Eight students who performed the Internet phenomenon Harlem Shake dance in their classroom and posted it online have been expelled from their school in the Aegean province of Muğla.

Authorities at the Anadolu Lisesi (Anatolian High School) in Muğla's Bodrum district eventually decided that the expulsion decision was appropriate for the students' YouTube posting.

Nagi Meriç, the Bodrum representative of the Education and Science Employees Union (Eğitim-Sen), has slammed the decision in a written statement, drawing attention to the school's own pedagogic services report which rules that the incident does not demand expulsion.

Meriç and parents of the students have pointed out that the punishment will influence students' record, thus damaging their potential path to the civil service or military high schools.

Parents of the students have also stated they would appeal to a legal struggle.