Jason St Pierre - Walker High School principal.Photo:Livingston Parish Public Schools/Facebook
Livingston Parish Public Schools/Facebook
A high school principal near Baton Rouge, Louisiana has requested to take a leave of absence after punishing a student for dancing at a party, according to multiple reports.
Walker High School principal Jason St. Pierre first saw a video of Kaylee Timonet, 17 — student government president and scholarship candidate — dancing at an off-campus party after the September Homecoming festivities,ABC Newsreported.
Three days later, St. Pierre informed Timonet that she would be dismissed from her role in the student government association, and he would no longer endorse her for college scholarships, per the outlet.
Timonet’s mother, Rachel, toldThe Advocatethat St. Pierre said to her daughter on Oct. 3 that she wasn’t “living in the Lord’s way,” and printed out Bible verses with highlighted sections. He also “questioned who her friends were and if they followed the Lord,” Rachel added.
“She said she didn’t know how to answer that and they said it’s a yes or no question,” Rachel told the outlet. “Meanwhile, she’s sobbing.”
“I was really, really upset because student government is the best thing that happened to me during high school,” Timonet told local Louisiana media outletUnfiltered with Kiran. “They basically told me I should be ashamed of myself and that they were concerned about my afterlife if I wasn’t following basically God’s ideals, which made me cry even more,”
Social media erupted with a firestorm of supporters, with “Let the Girl Dance” profile photos and T-shirts labeled with the same slogan appearing in posts and videos, perThe Advocate.
Rachel created the Let the Girl Dance ScholarshipFacebook pageand aFreeFunder pageto raise funds for her daughter, and to “help deserving Kaylee achieve her educational dreams.”
On Sunday, St. Pierre issued astatementon the Livingston Parish Public Schools Facebook page, writing, “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,” he wrote. “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.
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“It’s too little, too late,” Rachel toldWAFB, noting the “scholarship deadline was done, and the damage that he’s done to her is done.”
In a statement issued to ABC News, district officials confirmed St. Pierre has requested to take a leave of absence through the end of the school year.
“Walker High School Principal Jason St. Pierre has requested to take leave for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year,” said Livingston Parish Public Schools Superintendent Joe Murphy. “The district office is awaiting his paperwork to process his request.”
St. Pierre did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
source: people.com
