Inappropriate candy thrown from Halloween parade float - WDAM-TV 7-News, Weather, Sports-Hattiesburg, MS

Many Pine Belt parents were outraged when their children were thrown phalic-shaped candy during the fourth annual Avenues Halloween parade.  

Seven on your side received several pictures of the candy on social media. 

Keisha Smith and her sister Christal Tonumaipea were in shock when their twelve year old nephew picked up the candy. 

"He looks at it before he opens it and throws it to the ground," Smith said. 

"I pick it up and I wonder what's wrong with the candy. Is it open? I pick it up and look at it, and it's penis candy." 

"What the heck, why are they throwing this out at a family friendly parade," Tonumaipea said. 

According to the parade rules and waiver release, each entry must meet certain requirements.The rules describe the parade as a family-oriented event for the community. 

One of the rules specifically outlines that no costume, dance, song, attire, etc., could be sexually suggestive or explicit.

2. No decorations, costumes, dance, songs, attire, etc. which are in bad taste, culturally insensitive, sexually suggestive or explicit, or otherwise not in the spirit of Halloween. This is a family-oriented event, primarily for all the people of our community, and entries that do not conform to that standard will be removed from the line-up.

Paul Sims with the parade organization declined an interview with WDAM, but did release the following statement:

The 4th Annual Halloween Parade was a great success. We are grateful for the thousands of Hattiesburg residents who attended. We were made aware of this particular situation after last night's parade and immediately spoke with the participants responsible. Going forward, we will make changes to the Halloween Parade Rules to prevent this from happening in the future. Our events are family-friendly for the enjoyment of the entire Hattiesburg community, and we intend to make sure they stay that way.

Seven on Your Side reached out to Sims for the identity of those who were involved in the incident, and he issued the following statement: 

We were made aware of the incident after the parade.  We had no knowledge of it prior and absolutley would not have allowed it to happen had we known.

The responsible participants were dealt with by our group and as well as the group they were a part of.  We’re not going to comment on any names.

We want to keep the focus of this event on the positives that this event brings to the community.

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