A Facebook post, 'American Pie' and a verbal clash at Queen Creek school board meeting

A parent spoke out about a member of the Queen Creek Unified School District Governing Board, claiming that he had posted an improper comment on a Queen Creek High School Bands Facebook fan page.

During the public comment section of Tuesday night’s board meeting, Jenn Masse said Board Member James Knox’s quote from a movie was not appropriate.

The comment was in response to a post about the QCHS band students going to a band camp.

Knox replied to the posting, “I pray you all are safe and have a wonder-filled experience! And remember one of the best movies ever made consistently references ‘One time at band camp…’”

Masse, her husband, Nick, and a few other parents replied to Knox’s comment by writing that it was not appropriate. Nick Masse added, “@James Knox, ummm what are you thinking and why are you even allowed on the board after this comment. Time to step down sir. Unacceptable.”

The line Knox quoted came from the raunchy teen comedy “American Pie,” where one character begins many of her stories with, “This one time at band camp…” For most of the movie her stories were G-rated, except for one that was definitely NSFW.

“On a post on July 12, 2023, on the Queen Creek fan page, Mr. Knox posted a comment that was distasteful, quoting the movie “American Pie.” The movie line is sexual in nature,” Jenn Masse said at the board meeting. “After many parents on the post voiced their concerns over the comment, Mr. Knox decided, instead of stating, ‘You know what? I made a mistake. I apologize for the comment,’ he turned it around on us parents and stated we were perverted and needed to get a life.”

Calling it a personal attack, Knox was allowed to respond to Masse.

“All I'd like to say is I'm sorry that you thought, and others thought, that of the 14 comments in that movie you went right to the sexual comment. I've gone to many camps as a youth, and it presented great memories and that's what that phrase was referencing,” he said. “Now, as a parent had I remembered that one instance I probably wouldn’t have made this statement. But to sit up here and attack me when the purest sense was ‘one time at band camp,’ which the lady said repeatedly through it with fond memories of it and was the only one out of 14 that was sexual in nature, that was not what I was referencing. It's kind of sad that parents want to go right to the worst thing possible.”