Current:Home > MyLouisiana principal apologizes, requests leave after punishing student for dancing at party; her mom says "too little, too late"-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Louisiana principal apologizes, requests leave after punishing student for dancing at party; her mom says "too little, too late"
View Date:2024-12-24 08:06:33
A Louisiana public school principal has apologized and requested leave for punishing a student and questioning her religious beliefs after he saw a video of her dancing at an off-campus party. But the mother of the student has called the principal's move to reinstate her daughter's school privileges "too little, too late."
Kaylee Timonet, the 17-year-old student government president and scholarship candidate, was videotaped dancing at an off-campus party following Walker High School's Sept. 30 Homecoming festivities. A hired DJ took the video and posted it on social media to promote his business, CBS affiliate WAFB reported. Three days later, Jason St. Pierre, principal of the public high school near the state capital of Baton Rouge, told the student she would be removed from her position with the student government association and that he would no longer recommend her for college scholarships.
At a meeting in his office with the assistant principal, St. Pierre told the student she wasn't "living in the Lord's way," her mother said, according to The Advocate. He printed out Bible verses with highlighted sections and "questioned who her friends were and if they followed the Lord," the news outlet reported.
In a statement published Sunday on the Livingston Parish Public Schools district Facebook page, St. Pierre reversed course. Citing the significant public attention the episode had received and more time to consider his decision, the principal apologized to the student's family and undid his previous disciplinary plans. He also addressed his invocation of religion.
"Finally, during my conversation with (the student) regarding the dance party, the subject of religious beliefs was broached by (the student) and myself," St. Pierre wrote. "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."
Timonet and her mother said St. Pierre brought up religion, not her. The mother and daughter have also said the deadline for her scholarship application was on Oct. 3, and questioned whether St. Pierre could have reinstated his scholarship endorsement sooner, WAFB reported.
Timonet's mom Rachel told WAFB the apology was "too little, too late."
"I even told him on the phone conversation when he made it to us at noon today asking us to come into the office and he mentioned reinstating the scholarship, I let him know that the scholarship deadline was done, and the damage that he's done to her is done. I also told him I gave them the opportunity when I came in there at 7 o' clock the next morning, to try and rectify the situation at that point. Now, with somebody holding his hand forcing him to do something, an apology being enforced, it's too late," Rachel Timonet told the station.
In a statement Monday, district officials said St. Pierre had requested to take leave for the remainder 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."
- In:
- Louisiana
veryGood! (34)
Related
- We Can Tell You How to Get to Sesame Street—and Even More Secrets About the Beloved Show
- Where is 'College GameDay' for Week 4? Location, what to know for ESPN show
- South Carolina death row inmate asks governor for clemency
- Heather Gay Reveals RHOSLC Alum's Surprising Connection to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Star
- All the Ways Megan Fox Hinted at Her Pregnancy With Machine Gun Kelly
- Texans RB Joe Mixon calls on NFL to 'put your money where your mouth is' on hip-drop tackle
- As Jimmy Carter nears his 100th birthday, a musical gala celebrates the ‘rock-and-roll president’
- National Cheeseburger Day 2024: Get deals at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, more
- Insurance magnate pleads guilty as government describes $2B scheme
- NAACP president urges Missouri governor to halt execution planned for next week
Ranking
- Dozens indicted over NYC gang warfare that led to the deaths of four bystanders
- City approves plan for Oklahoma hoops, gymnastics arena in $1.1B entertainment district
- Prefer to deposit checks in person? Bank branches may soon be hard to come by, report says
- A vandal badly damaged a statue outside a St. Louis cathedral, police say
- Patrick Mahomes Breaks Silence on Frustrating Robbery Amid Ongoing Investigation
- RHOC's Emily Simpson Tearfully Confronts Heather Dubrow Over Feeling Singled Out for Her Body
- The Federal Reserve is finally lowering rates. Here’s what consumers should know
- Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis on their ‘Warriors’ musical concept album with Lauryn Hill
Recommendation
-
Kirk Herbstreit berates LSU fans throwing trash vs Alabama: 'Enough is enough, clowns'
-
3 dead in wrong-way crash on busy suburban Detroit highway
-
Riding wave of unprecedented popularity, WNBA announces 15th team will go to Portland
-
Scoring inquiry errors might have cost Simone Biles another Olympic gold medal
-
Video shows masked man’s apparent attempt to kidnap child in NYC; suspect arrested
-
Texas lawmakers show bipartisan support to try to stop a man’s execution
-
Why Deion Sanders believes Travis Hunter can still play both ways in NFL
-
The Secret Service again faces scrutiny after another gunman targets Trump