School suspends students who say "meep"

BOSTON (NBC) - A Massachusetts school has a warning to students: No more "meep-ing".

Any student at Danvers High School who uses the word "meep" will be suspended.

"Meep," a nonsense word, was first made popular by the Warner Bros. "Road Runner" character and increased in popularity thanks Beaker from "The Muppet Show."

Senior Alex Buzzi takes credit for starting the craze.

"You see someone in the hall and you go 'Meep' and they go 'Meep' back and nothing, it's harmless," Buzzi said.

Putting First Amendment concerns aside, the principal banned the word, threatening any student who uses it with suspension. An automated call went out to every parent informing them of the ban.

Students said a freshman biology teacher felt threatened by the word.

"They like to anger him and walk by his class and say it so people get suspended for it now," said Brianna Lapointe, a junior.

Many parents are not upset with the ban.

"The real issue here is that they were asked to do something to stop doing what they were doing and they disobeyed," said Linda Collinsworth, a parent.

Danvers superintendent Dr. Lisa Dana issued a statement that read in part:

"The principal was exercising his responsibility to maintain order so that an environment conducive to learning could be maintained."