Prom Chaperones Sprayed Lysol On Dirty Dancers

MAY 15--Two parent chaperones at a Colorado high school prom sprayed Lysol on students engaged in “dirty dancing” and called several teenage girls “sluts and whores” for making it appear “they were advertising butt sex,” according to cops.

The bizarre incident last month at the Manitou Springs High School resulted in harassment charges being filed against Jennifer Farmer and Hannah Rockey, both 42-year-old mothers who allegedly dispersed the disinfectant in a bid to pry apart underage revelers.

According to a police report, the April 21 prom--which had a “Lost in Pandora” theme--was held in the Manitou Springs city hall, where a crowd of students danced in a large auditorium that Saturday evening.

Officer Scott Stone, who was working a security detail at the prom, told investigators that he had spoken with Farmer and Rockey after arriving at the dance around 8 PM. He recalled that the chaperones--who were dressed in combat boots, military fatigues, and military undershirt--noted that “some of the kids were becoming disruptive and were being explicit while dancing.”

Farmer, a former school board member, reported that “she had ways to deter the behavior,” recalled Stone, who added that the woman noted she “would use Lysol spray, flashlight, or another unknown object” to deter students “from certain styles of dancing.” Both chaperones told the cop that bumping and grinding was “filthy” and “similar to what you would see on MTV.”

After Stone agreed that some dancing could get inappropriate, the women remarked that students “are dancing like they are having sex with clothes on.” The chaperones, Stone added, then expressed concerns that the dance made the girls look “trashy, dirty, and whorish.” With that, Stone ended his conversation with the chaperones and walked around the dance. Not spotting anything of concern, the cop left the auditorium (though he would periodically return “to check the area”).

As detailed by police, several teenagers told officers that the chaperones subsequently deployed the Lysol, which got into the eyes and mouths of some dancers (some of whom had to leave the prom). A female student reported the spraying to police, saying that Farmer and Rockey said that some dancers “were advertising butt sex.” The chaperones, the girl told cops, referred to her and her friends as “sluts and whores” and “dirty.”

As for the spraying, the teenager reported that “Hannah Rockey then proceeded to spray Lysol at them, which got on their clothing, mouth, and eyes. The spray caused the students to cough and leave the area.” After hearing the girl’s account, a cop “obtained several witness statements” supporting the allegations against Farmer and Rockey. 

A school administrator told police that he had received reports from students that the chaperones had kicked several students out of the prom for improper dancing, and that both women were “spraying students with Lysol disinfectant who were dancing, and calling the girls ‘whores’ and ‘sluts.’” The administrator told cops that he then spoke with Farmer and Rockey, who both agreed to leave the prom.

Rockey (left) and Farmer are pictured in the above photos.

Two days after the dance, police interviewed a second Manitou Springs High School administrator, John McGee, who told them he was aware of the incident and had met with Farmer and Rockey earlier in the day. McGee said that the chaperones “did admit to spraying the cleaning product.”

Farmer and Rockey were later cited for harassment, though the alleged spraying did not figure in the criminal counts. The chaperones “directed obscene language to another in a public place,” according to criminal complaints. Specifically, the prom chaperones were charged for calling some of the underage female dancers “whores” and “sluts.”

The chaperones have denied the Lysol spraying. Farmer is scheduled to appear June 29 in El Paso County Court to answer the charge, while Rockey is due in court on July 10. (4 pages)