Video of Foot-Licking at Oklahoma School Sparks Anger

Footage showing students at an Oklahoma high school licking toes as part of a charity fundraiser Thursday has gone viral on social media.

The incident took place at Deer Creek High School in Edmond as part of an assembly called the 'Clash of Classes' that students paid to attend. The event was held to raise money for a chain of coffee shops in Oklahoma City that employs people with physical or mental disabilities.

In a statement, the Deer Creek School District said all those who took part were volunteers and added that the high school raised $152,830.38 over a week of fundraising for the coffee shop. However, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters branded the event "disgusting" and said there would be an investigation. In a statement sent to Newsweek, Walters added: "The video we've seen from Deer Creek is shocking and disgusting. OSDE [Oklahoma State Department of Education] is investigating this incident."

Newsweek contacted Deer Creek High School by telephone and voicemail message at 7:15 a.m. on Saturday.

On Friday, local network KOKH FOX 25 shared a 26-second clip showing a line of four students lying on the floor while licking the toes of four other people who are sitting down on a bench. The footage was shared by 'Libs of TikTok,' a prominent X account that termed it "unbelievable" and asked: "Who approved this???" This video went viral receiving more than 12.9 million views and 9,000 reposts.

Speaking to KOKH FOX 25, one parent said participants had been "licking peanut butter off of toes," although this hasn't been independently confirmed.

In a statement sent to KOKH FOX 25, Deer Creek School District said no faculty or staff were involved in the event and described the week of fundraising as a momentous accomplishment.

The statement read: "This afternoon, Deer Creek High School announced a grand total of $152,830.38 raised for Not Your Average Joe Coffee, an organization created to 'inspire our community by including students and adults with intellectual, developmental and physical disabilities,' according to their website...

"On Thursday, February 29, 2024, Deer Creek High School hosted an assembly called the Clash of Classes for students who paid to attend. During this assembly, ninth through twelfth grade students volunteered to participate in various student-organized class competitions, in the spirit of raising money for NYAJ.

"All participants in the assembly were students who signed up for the game(s) they played ahead of time. No Deer Creek faculty or staff participated in any of the games during this Clash of Classes assembly," the statement added.

"Many dedicated students gave generously of their personal time to achieve this momentous accomplishment, which will serve communities beyond the boundaries of Deer Creek. We would like to thank all of the patrons, businesses and sponsors who contributed to the success of this year's Wonderful Week of Fundraising."

Tim Herbel, executive director of Not Your Average Joe, told The Oklahoman that his six coffee shops had faced backlash after the video went viral, with people calling them to leave abusive messages.

"They call our stores and our friends with special needs usually answer the phones and they are being cussed out and called pedophiles," Herbel told the outlet.

"One-star reviews from all over the country. We're not this well-funded machine that has all these dollars. We're getting beat up. The kids are getting beat up."

Data from the 2022 U.S. Census Bureau showed that Oklahoma has the 38^th highest proportion of high school students graduating in the Union, with 89.6 percent completing their studies.

Some high schools have switched to a four-day week in recent years, believing it offers a better lifestyle for both students and teachers.

Update 3/2/24, 11 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with a statement from State Superintendent Ryan Walters.

Update 3/5/24, 11 a.m. ET: This story was updated with additional information.