For the Fargo School District, it was no laughing matter Thursday when MTV showed up at Clara Barton Elementary hoping to stage a sexually suggestive prank involving lawn ornaments.
The re-enactment, which the network originally planned to do in Fergus Falls, Minn., was meant for a show called "High School Stories: Scandals, Pranks and Controversies."
"All of these things we try to prevent, not celebrate," said Lowell Wolff, Fargo School District spokesman.
But the pranksters were stopped before they could even start Thursday morning.
Clara Barton Principal Jeff Reznecheck asked the 20 or more people gathered on the school property to leave after finding out the nature of the prank.
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Reznecheck said he had given the crew permission to be at Clara Barton earlier in the week, not realizing what they had planned.
Come to find out, the prank was to feature reindeer lawn ornaments in sexually suggestive positions. MTV was trying to recreate an actual incident that took place in Fergus Falls in 2002.
"The documentary was not in the best interest of Fargo public schools," Reznecheck said.
The MTV group also planned to use the yard of Fargo resident Curt Christensen, who lives near Clara Barton.
Christensen said he gave MTV permission to use his property for the taping.
The giant Christmas lawn ornaments already had arrived and were being stored in his garage.
"They were going to create a winter scene in my yard," Christensen said.
Christensen, data and technology manager for Forum Communications, said he didn't see what the big deal was and didn't understand why they had to leave.
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"I think it's kind of sad, actually," he said.
Before Clara Barton, the MTV crew planned to use Fargo South High School as a backdrop, but that fell through, according to an e-mail to Wolff from MTV production associate Jim Garvey.
The e-mail indicated they were shooting the third season of "High School Stories," to air before the popular MTV show Total Request Live sometime this fall.
A call to Garvey was not returned.
But school district officials weren't the only ones who put their foot down Thursday. Fargo police say the MTV group also did not have permission to close down the street to tape the prank.
Sgt. Joel Vettel said he was first contacted Tuesday about a possible street closure. Shooting would have taken place in the area of 15th Avenue South and Seventh Street South during the late night and early morning hours.
But Vettel said there was just no time to coordinate everything necessary to close down a street. That process usually requires about two weeks notice, he said.
The production schedule involved shoots through Wednesday, according to the e-mails.
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From a public safety perspective, Vettel said the timing of the MTV request led to the prank's demise in Fargo and not necessarily the nature of the prank.
"We just want to make sure it's safe and secure for everyone," he said.
The re-enactment also was stopped in Fergus Falls because MTV wanted to block off parts of a street and wanted to film the police station and a squad car.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Mary Jo Almquist at (701) 241-5531
