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By NBC News staff
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officials are investigating claims that one of its helicopters was used to help a teenager invite a girl to homecoming.
While on a routine mission over northern Virginia last Wednesday, a CBP helicopter was allegedly used by a Department of Homeland Security employee to fly over his son’s high school and drop a stuffed animal with the invitation, NBCWashington.com reported.
Students, who were just being released from classes for the day, watched excitedly as the helicopter hovered close to the football field and dropped a stuffed bulldog with a red bandanna parachute to the ground. Then students said they saw the junior boy, carrying pink roses, walking toward the senior girl and leading her to the football field to collect the stuffed animal, which delivered the message, “Fall Fest?,” The Washington Post reported.
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Irene Cromer, a Prince William County Public Schools spokesperson, told The Washington Post that the boy’s father asked the principal for permission to have a helicopter fly in and drop the stuffed animal.
“It was completely authorized,” Cromer said. “They did ask for permission. They were granted permission.”
It’s unclear how the incident was planned and who was flying the helicopter, but the boy’s father is a senior official in air operations at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
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In a statement, Michael Friel of U.S. Customs and Border Protection said, “CBP management is looking into the matter and the pilot in command of the aircraft has been relieved and reassigned to administrative duties pending completion of the review of the incident.”
Patriot High School’s Fall Festival is Saturday, September 29.
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