Sign the Petition to Free Banana Man!

This is cross-posted on LeavingMyMarc.com

Has everyone in Stafford County gone bananas? No, really?

This story is so ludicrous; I don’t even know where to begin. According to myFoxdc.com, a Colonial Forge High School student was “handcuffed and placed in a police car for running down the sidelines during halftime at a [High School] football game” in a banana suit this past Friday.

I’m so glad that Sheriff Jett (R-Stafford) is taking my article on increased crime in Stafford County so seriously. Clearly, the Banana Man posed an imminent danger to the community and it was necessary to handcuff him and throw him in the back of a squad car. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I wrote the post. He wasn’t arrested and no charges have been filed, but I hear that Eric Olsen (R-Stafford) is on the case – that’s after he finishes returning the illegal campaign donation.

If being thrown into a squad car wasn’t enough, Stafford County schools also suspended this student for 10 days and he is now facing possible expulsion. They apparently have a zero-tolerance policy against bananas.

In a show of support from the student body, some students wore t-shirts that read “Free The Banana Man” to school on Monday. The students claim that their shirts were confiscated and they were ordered to attend Saturday school.

I’ve also received emails, which I’m unable to confirm at this point, which made additional claims that a student had her parking pass yanked for painting “Free Banana Man” on her car; students are now prohibited from eating bananas at school; and a student who came to school with a backpack full of bananas is now facing disciplinary action.

Per Gawker:

Yes, at least Thompson – an autistic teenager with musical talent and a playful sense of humor – wasn’t incarcerated for his totally innocent prank that made people laugh. That’s where we are nowadays, America – being glad when kids avoid being arrested for doing absolutely nothing wrong at all.

Apparently the wise officials at Colonial Forge High School, where Thompson is a student believe that running in a banana suit is disruptive and can lead to “mayhem.” Although this video footage doesn’t show any of the adolescent spectators in the stands declaring a revolution or taking hostages, or burning down the stadium in response to Thompson’s prank, it also doesn’t show what they were thinking about (forming a flash mob).

Here’s live video of Banana Man, as it happened:

Sign the petition to Free Banana Man!