‘Poor professional judgment.’ Ky. principal, 2 staffers, reprimanded over ‘man pageant’

Hazard High School Principal Donald “Happy” Mobelini and two other staffers were given written reprimands by the district in late October, one day after a homecoming event with male students simulating lap dances and female students pretending to serve beer while wearing Hooter’s t-shirts.

Mobelini, who is also the Mayor of Hazard, and was seen smiling in social media photographs of the event, and staff members Larry Thacker and Joshua Hurt, all received the same reprimand for unprofessional conduct.

That was on Oct. 27, one day after a so-called ‘man pageant’ in the school gym.

Thacker is a teacher and an assistant football coach. Hurt is a teacher, assistant basketball coach and school bus driver.

The Herald-Leader, under Kentucky’s Open Records Act, received a copy of the reprimands. They were signed by Hazard Independent Superintendent Sondra Combs.

The high school and school district has received negative national attention for the Oct. 26 homecoming week student event called a “man pageant” and state officials are investigating. Several people in the southeastern Kentucky town of Hazard showed up at a rally to support Mobelini soon after the activities at the event became public.

The three written reprimands were identical. They said that on Oct. 26, Mobelini, Thacker and Hurt exhibited “poor professional judgment in that you allowed a student led skit to reach an inappropriate level.”

“This action placed the school district in a situation of legal liability and cast it in a poor light,” the letter said.

The letter said the unprofessional behavior would not be tolerated and that the employees were required to maintain a professional work environment conducive to the “educational process.’

The three men will have to attend training approved by the school district at their personal expense, according to the reprimands.

Further, similar incidents could result in more disciplinary action, including being fired, the reprimands said.

The district also released other documents related to the homecoming event.

A Sept. 30, 2021, email sent to Hazard High School personnel prior to homecoming and released to the Herald-Leader Monday said “per Happy’s request” a sponsor needed to be with their class as they worked on homecoming skits, floats and volleyball and flag football practices.

The “man pageant” was described in a school document released to the Herald-Leader. “Each class will sponsor one boy to compete against the other class representative in evening wear, swim attire and talent,” the document said.

Mobelini has not responded to several requests for comment. Thacker and Hurt declined to comment through a district employee.

As part of a 2011 agreed order with the education professional standards board, Mobelini took 12 hours of training on legal liability for school districts and 12 hours of training in the dangers of alcohol use by teenagers.

In that case, Mobelini denied that he was aware of student drinking in a 2008 incident that resulted in the 2011 agreed order.

This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 2:14 PM with the headline "‘Poor professional judgment.’ Ky. principal, 2 staffers, reprimanded over ‘man pageant’."