Thou Shalt Not Twerk
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I'm torn here. i do not recommend young ladies engage in that sort of lewd behavior. But to lose her scholarships? A bit extreme I think. Kids do stupid stuff. Even the smart ones.
@Mik said in Thou Shalt Not Twerk:
I'm torn here. i do not recommend young ladies engage in that sort of lewd behavior. But to lose her scholarships? A bit extreme I think. Kids do stupid stuff. Even the smart ones.
And pressure to perform academically is directly proportional to the probability that stupid shit will be taken up.
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The religious lecture was also way out of order. He’s got no business talking to her about the afterlife. What a dickhead.
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I think the principal is going to lose more than the girl in this case. I also imagine a Go-Fund-Me will more than make up for the scholarship amount.
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In our district, back in my 12 years, the principal would be gone, or I would have definitely enjoyed a "conversation" with him letting him know my individual perspective. But, I've been amazed at the idiotic responses administrators would make within an explosive issue. In their defense, a principal needs to maintain authority, so maybe he was just new and lacked the tact necessary at the time. I'm being simplistic of course, but there are or should be policies in place to cover something like this sequence of events. We had similar, but never the "twerking" thing. And yeah, it will explode in the community for quite some time, and people of the community have a long memory, especially when it comes to capital construction bonds and I suppose everything else.
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That's Livingston Parish. One of the Florida Parishes, it used to be very rural and Deep Water Baptist. Things changed after Katrina and the parish grew, but it still is very Baptist. When I was a lad, I don't even think Walker High School had a prom, as dancing was too much like having sex standing up.
As I read it, an endorsement was pulled, not the actual scholarship (OTOH, many scholarships require endorsements by school administrators or other persons of authority).
The religious lecture does cross the line, but it would be interesting to know if they attend church together.
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@Mik said in Thou Shalt Not Twerk:
Even so it’s an overreaction.
Agree it was a bad move. I feel sorry for the girl.
(And also glad that my teenage years were before social media.)
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@Jolly said in Thou Shalt Not Twerk:
... but I'd like to know the whole story.
Like what childhood trauma or romantic rejections the school principal experienced in his early years that precipitated his current mentality to admonish a young woman for doing something essentially harmless in a private event?Sure, it's good to keep an open mind for a while for the whole story to emerge. I hope this becomes more of a habit for you.
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Supposedly, the Principal has pulled back - completely. The student has been reinstated as head of the student government and he's offered to make good on the scholarship recommendations. He offered to meet with mother and daughter yesterday though they declined based on an attorney's recommendation. Per the family, his offer to write supportive letters for the scholarship was not feasible as the deadline for such recommendations was October 3. This became a HUGE story on Tik Tok and other social media with lots of efforts to direct attention on the local school board - which apparently, it did. It's clear that the principal got a lot of adverse feedback . Till this business, he was a finalist for Principal of the Year - not happening now. In any event, hIs letter is below:
I believe it is necessary to respond to the public attention that has resulted from my actions regarding Kaylee Timonet’s participation in a dance party that was sponsored at an off-site location following WHS Homecoming.
I have had time to consider my actions, have conversations with the Timonets, and meet with district staff.
First, let me say that I have apologized to the Timonets and I am hopeful that my scheduled meeting with Kaylee’s mom will rectify this situation and allow Kaylee to enjoy the remainder of her senior year at Walker High School.
I will be reinstating Kaylee’s position on the Student Government Association. The SGA was created to give students a voice in their school and their community, to promote leadership qualities, and to represent their school with pride, enthusiasm, and respect. Our student government members are held to a high standard of student behavior. While I stand by that premise, I do believe that standard deserves the input of not just myself and top administrators, but also those student leaders. I hope to create a path moving forward where we can work together to create clear expectations for all.
I will be reinstating my scholarship endorsement for Kaylee. At Walker High, we strive to place our students first in every decision so they may be prepared for whatever career path they may aspire to take, and I believe my action will assist in doing that.
Finally, during my conversation with Kaylee regarding the dance party, the subject of religious beliefs was broached by Kaylee and myself. While that conversation was meant with the best intentions, I do understand it is not my responsibility to determine what students’ or others’ religious beliefs may be – that should be the responsibility of the individual
As principal of Walker High School, I am faced daily with many difficult decisions for the interest of our students and employees that are never taken lightly. Please know that I always strive to place our students first in every decision. It is for that reason that I have taken this corrective action.
As we move forward, I ask for your continued support of Walker High School, our amazing teachers, and outstanding students.
Thank you,
Jason St. Pierre, Principal
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He’s screwed
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According to Superintendent Joe Murphy, St. Pierre requested a leave of absence be granted by the school board.
"The district office is awaiting his paperwork to process his request," Murphy said.
Once the documents are in place, the school board will name an interim principal should his leave be granted.
Sunday night, October 8, around 6:30 p.m. principal St. Pierre released a statement via the Livingston Parish School Board Facebook page which addressed the decision to discipline Kaylee Timonet after a video appeared online of her dancing at post-homecoming party.
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It was poor judgment on his part. Clearly, the punishment was not equal to the "crime" - which again, it could be credibly argued was not a crime. His punishment equaled a detriment to her future career. That kind of punishment should only be applied to the truly deserving. Now, he is the one with a career being defined by a single action.
We live in a world where a butterfly's wings can cause a hurricane - thanks to social media.
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Anybody want to bet that she goes to college on the school’s dime?