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Marching Band Trophies Thrown Into Dumpster

Posted at 12:46 PM, Mar 30, 2017
and last updated 2017-03-30 22:46:42-04

Some Maury County residents are upset after marching band trophies from Columbia Central High School were thrown into a dumpster.

The school’s new location has recently opened, and crews have been cleaning out debris from the old campus.

Columbia Central High School has one of the top marching bands in the state, and many residents are upset after some of its trophies were found inside a dumpster.

It’s unclear why the trophies were thrown out. School officials have not yet released a statement. 

"I was shocked and concerned just like some of my classmates were," said Maury County Commissioner Debbie Westmoreland Turner.

She attended Columbia Central years ago.

"I was shocked and disheartened," said Turner.

Some of her constituents alerted her to a dumpster containing the discarded band trophies.

Band Directer, Trevor Baxter, said there were so many trophies they all simply could not be moved to the new school, though more than 100 were kept for the new trophy case.

He said most of those discarded were damaged. It is hard to tell if the trophies were already damaged or broke when dumped. Turner said that's not the point.

"Our school has a lot of pride in its band," said Turner.

She wondered if they could have been given away, auctioned off as a fundraiser, or simply put into storage - something better than the garbage.

"I know the dedication and the time and sacrifices they make to win these trophies and it's hard to see them thrown away in a dumpster," said Turner.

Baxter, said all of the individual band awards, like those for drum majors, were kept and will be returned to those former students.