Grosse Pointe South's Second Suburb Comedy Troupe Causes Stir

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A comedy troupe known as The Second Suburb has apologized for an off-campus show earlier this month that characterized South Grosse Pointe High School Principal Moussa J. Hamka, who is Muslim, as a terrorist and reportedly made other discriminatory references.

The May 29 show at the Detroit Music Hall Center was widely criticized by some who attended it as racist and anti-gay, WJBK-TV reports.

The show wasn’t sanctioned by the Grosse Pointe school district and wasn’t affiliated with the school in any way, but Hamka said in a letter to parents earlier this month that “it is clear that at least some of the content of this show was inappropriate and in many ways portrayed either our school or our students in a negative light.”

The staff at The Tower Pulse, Grosse Pointe South’s online student publication, said in an editorial that though it supports The Second Suburb’s First Amendment rights to free speech, this year’s routine crossed the line between comedy and bullying and “seized every chance they could to put down their peers.”

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• After this year’s performance, should Second Suburb get a second chance?

In past years, The Second Suburb has parodied teachers and “the Grosse Pointe stereotype,” the editorial noted, but this year focused on students and their personal lives. The editorial quoted Student Press Law Center Executive Director Frank LoMonte, who said the content may have been an invasion of privacy.

“I don’t have the right to stand on a street corner and give a speech about my neighbors’ private love lives. I can be sued for invasion of privacy, just as the statements in this performance could be the basis of a lawsuit,” LoMonte said.

The Tower Pulse staff said in its editorial that the content of this year’s show jeopardized future Second Suburb performances.

“Prior to 2015 Second Suburb has been known for its vulgarity and degradation, though this year’s cast crossed many lines,” the editorial read. “As a result, if students wish to continue the tradition of Second Suburb they could face more backlash from the administration and community.”

Hamka met with students who offered the following apology:

“We regret any action perceived as racist, homophobic, or generally discriminatory that occurred last Friday. It has come to our attention that many in the community feel that our goal was to personally attack many of the students and staff members in the Grosse Pointe Public School System. This was not our intention. Changes will be made in future shows to prevent similar circumstances.”

In his letter, the principal said the students showed depth of character by “taking responsibility for their actions.”

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Photo by Stephen Boyd / Flickr