WebProNews

Tag: high school

  • Jillian Jacobson Counseled Students on Suicide Just Weeks Before Killing Herself

    Jillian Jacobson was well-liked by her students. The photography instructor was only 31 years old and lived in Anaheim with her 34-year-old husband. She taught at El Dorado High School in the Orange County town of Placentia.

    Students say that they saw no signs of Jillian Jacobson appearing to be depressed. But when they arrived for class last week, they found the classroom door locked. It was 8:40 a.m., and student thought Jacobson was just late, so they had another teacher open the door to let them in. But they found Jacobson hanging from the ceiling.

    Two staff members got Jillian Jacobson down and called 911.

    “She appears to have committed suicide prior to the start of school at some point in time,” Placentia police Lt. Eric Point said. “When police and fire arrived, the teacher was in cardiac arrest,” Point said. “After several minutes, she was declared deceased at the scene.”

    “Right away we knew something really horrible had happened,” freshman Tessa Hoover told the Orange County Register newspaper.

    Jillian Jacobson’s own father had committed suicide four years earlier. She had recently done a week-long unit on depression for freshmen at the high school. She told students that, if they ever felt down, they should ask for help. She talked about how much a person’s suicide affects those around them.

    Jillian Jacobson had been employed by El Dorado High School since 2008. She had a bachelor’s degree in ceramics and glass, and art education and a master’s degree in educational leadership.

    Jillian Jacobson also participated in a children’s art camp at Cal State Fullerton. In her bio on the website for the camp, she said:

    “My goal every summer is to give campers an experience they will always remember, and to send them home with art work they will be proud of for years to come.”

  • Malia Obama Works on Set of Halle Berry’s ‘Extant’

    Malia Obama, daughter of President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, worked on the set of Halle Berry’s upcoming sc-fi series Extant for a day. The aspiring filmmaker will be a junior in high school come fall, and was no doubt getting up close and personal with what her future work might entail.

    Malia clapped together the board that indicates the beginning of shooting a scene. The almost-16-year-old (Malia Obama turns 16 on the 4th of July) must have been completely enthralled by the goings-on on this Hollywood set.

    Extant is set to begin airing in July. In addition to starring Halle Berry it is produced by Amblin Television which was founded by Steven Spielberg. These two components add to the likelihood of the new series becoming an instant hit. How exciting will it be for Malia Obama to not only watch the show and know she spent a day on set, but to share that excitement with her friends as well?

    No one from the White House has yet commented on Malia’s exciting adventure. She attends Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., however it is far more likely that she was allowed this privilege because she is the president’s daughter than the chance that it was a school-related project.

    Some reports are indicating that Malia will work for the entire summer on the Extant set as Halle Berry’s assistant.

    Even though Michelle Obama is rather strict with Malia and sister Sasha Obama as far as watching television goes, Malia did admit during an interview about her famous dad back in January that she is a fan of the hit TV show Girls. Hopefully Mom will bend the rules a bit and allow the sisters to catch a few episodes of Extant when it begins airing next month.

    If nothing more emerges from Malia Obama’s visit to this Hollywood set, she will forever have the memories of a very exciting day away from the White House and away from school. Not many teens can file this kind of experience away in their memory banks.

    Image via YouTube

  • Faith Evans’ Son Graduates High School

    Faith Evans is one proud momma!

    On May 29, her oldest son, and the only son of the late Notorious B.I.G., Christopher Wallace Jr. graduated from Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California.

    Evans shared a series of photos from the graduation on her personal Instagram account. The first photo shows her son, who goes by Cee Jay, waiting patiently to receive his diploma. The caption read: “Here we go!!! #SMCHS #Classof2014.”

    The next photo shows Cee Jay walking across the stage with a caption that read: “That’s my boy @cj_toa #thegraduate doin it #BIG.”

    Then there was a photo of Cee Jay walking back to his seat with his diploma in hand. Evans simply captioned this photo with hashtags that read: “#proud #mom #happy #son.” The final photo was of Evans and Cee Jay and was captioned by saying: “My first born son @cj_toa & I #proud.”

    Evans and Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace, were married in 1994. They met at a photo shoot and had only known each other for a few weeks when they decided to say “I do.” They welcomed their first, and only, son Cee Jay two years later.

    The New York City rapper was murdered in a drive by shooting in March 1997 when his son was only five months old.

    Image via Twitter

  • Miss America Prom: Teen’s Prom Invitation Gets Him Suspended

    With prom season upon us, we keep hearing stories about teens inviting celebrities to the prom. Typical, right? Sometimes they get a “yes,” but mostly it’s a “no” or no response. Unfortunately for a high school student in York, Pennsylvania, not only did he not get an answer when he asked Miss America to the prom, he found himself facing three days of in-school suspension.

    Patrick Farves, a student at Central York High School, decided to play a prank after hearing that Nina Davuluri/Miss America was coming to his school. Farves planned to ask Miss America to be his prom date. After school officials learned of Farves’ plans, they pulled him aside and warned him not to follow through with the invitation.

    “At that point in time, it was 10 minutes before the presentation, and I was pretty much set to do it,” Farves said. “I was a little pressured. Everybody expected me to do it. I’m the kind of person who, if someone says I won’t do something, I’ll prove people wrong. I will.”

    Farves did indeed go through with his plans to ask Miss America to be his prom date. Check out the video another student took of his invitation below. It’s hard to make out what Farves is saying, but there is no mistaking the little jig he danced on the way back to his seat.

    The student was pulled out of the assembly after the invitation and informed that he was going to serve three days of in-school suspension for the prank.

    “I do understand why the administration was mad,” Farves said. “I don’t want to be the kind of person to try to justify myself…I didn’t intend to disrespect the administration. I can see how it was seen as a slap in the face.”

    Even though Farves doesn’t have a problem with the suspension, some students started a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #freepatty, complaining about the decision.

    After getting so many complaints about the decision to suspend the teen for inviting Miss America to the prom, the school issued a statement:

    It is not our practice to discipline a student for asking someone – even Miss America – to a school dance. However, it is our practice to set expectations for student behavior, to communicate those expectations and rules to students and families and to ensure those rules are followed within our schools. This practice is not uncommon and happens every day, multiple times a day, in schools, businesses and homes across America.

    Let’s take the rules of parents, for example. If I tell my child to be home by 10PM, and my husband tells our child to be home at 10PM, what do we do if our child defies us and returns home at midnight? As parents, we would be remiss not to give an appropriate consequence to our child for deliberately defying us so that our child understands that our rules should be followed and respected. Schools must operate in the same way.

    Yesterday’s event was a wonderful experience for our students and a once in a lifetime opportunity for our district, and it is a shame that the media wants to frame this story to sell papers and make headlines using a distortion of what actually occurred.

    Even though Farves deliberately defied school officials and was suspended, he is still being allowed to go to the prom. Now that his prom invitation has gone viral and made him a celebrity overnight, he shouldn’t have any trouble getting a date, even if it isn’t with Miss America (pictured below).

    Image via Twitter

  • Several Students Stabbed At Pennsylvania High School

    According to CBS News Pittsburgh, several students at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville Pennsylvania (approximately 18 miles from Pittsburgh) have been stabbed.

    Police and paramedics have arrived on the scene and have confirmed that five or six individuals were stabbed during a fire drill, and one student was airlifted to a local hospital. The police currently have one person in custody in regards to the stabbing.

    The school has notified parents of the incident and have given them the option to pick their children up from school. It is not known if all of the victims were students, or a mixture of students and teachers.

    More information will be shared as it becomes available.

    Image via Twitter

  • Texans Cheerleader To Attend Prom With High Schooler

    Dreams can come true. If you just happen to be high school senior Mike Ramirez, and that special dream involves taking a cheerleader from the Houston Texans to prom, then dreams definitely come true.

    The Crosby High School senior asked beautiful Caitlyn Beth, who just happens to be a Houston Texans cheerleader, to be his prom date. The 20-year-old blonde beauty agreed if Ramirez could reach 10,000 retweets on his Twitter account, and luckily he did.

    “I’m so excited. My buddies are excited for me too. They said I have to do it big, so that’s what I’m going to do.” Seventeen-year-old Ramirez said before adding, “Honestly, I didn’t think she’d respond, but you don’t hit unless you swing.”

    Friends and Twitter followers of the high school student are excited to hear the positive news. According to Colten Watley, “I thought she was going to blow it off because she’s a Houston Texans cheerleader right? Yes, she’s a professional and he’s just a high school student.”

    Ramirez had voiced his desire to find the perfect date for the special evening. “Got the asking prom idea, now I just need the right girl.” Caitlyn was flattered by the invitation and shared her own thoughts on the offer. “I thought it was the sweetest thing ever and I immediately said yes,” Caitlyn said.

    Image Via Twitter

  • Teen Sues Parents for School Fees in Legal Family Feud

    A New Jersey high school honors student is suing her parents for abandoning her while she was still attending school.

    Rachel Canning, 18, is demanding that her parents pay her remaining private high school costs.

    She claims that her parents, Sean and Elizabeth Canning, gave her two ultimatums before she moved out: to leave her boyfriend or to leave home.

    Obviously, she chose the latter.

    The Morris Catholic High School senior and cheerleader is currently staying with one of her classmates since her parents ‘kicked her out’ on her 18th birthday, which was November 1.

    Oddly enough, her classmate’s father, attorney John Inglesino, and his wife intend to help Canning fight the case against her parents by providing funds for the lawsuit.

    Canning’s father, who is a former Lincoln Park, New Jersey Police Officer, asserts that his daughter chose to emancipate herself.

    According to the Daily Record, he shared his side of the story:

    “We love our child and miss her. This is terrible. It’s killing me and my wife…we love Rachel and wish she would wake up. We’re not draconian and now we’re getting hauled into court. She’s demanding that we pay her bills, but she doesn’t want to live at home.”

    Mr. Canning also argues that just last October following child abuse allegations, a Division of Child Protection and Permanency representative determined that his daughter was “spoiled” and then decided to terminate the investigation. He says that his daughter refuses to abide by simple household rules and has been suspended in the past from school. Therefore, he and his wife took away her car and decided to not support her educational expenses any longer. (image)

    Court records, however, show plausible evidence to support Canning’s argument:

    “My parents have rationalized their actions by blaming me for not following their rules. They stopped paying my high school tuition to punish the school and me and have redirected my college fund, indicating their refusal to afford me an education as a punishment.”

    Canning’s parents allegedly owe the Catholic school more than $5,000 in tuition costs.

    Although Mr. Canning admits to withholding payments to Morris High, President Michael St. Pierre told the court in a written letter that the school will not expel Canning because of her parents’ actions.

    “Rachel has excellent grades and will not be removed from the school for this non-payment; however her parents do have a contractual obligation to pay.” Pierre said, according the Daily Record. “Rachel is certainly unable at this time to attend Morris Catholic High School full-time and support herself financially.”

    Canning’s has received several acceptance award letters and a $20,000 scholarship from a private New York university.

    She has also filed a lawsuit demanding her parents pay her impending college fees, which Mr. Canning has ensured that he would take part in doing.

    Canning was scheduled to face her parents in Morristown Family Court Tuesday. The odds seemed to be on her side because according to a state law, parents are obligated to support their children well after the legal age of 18.

    However, Superior Court Family Division Judge Peter Bogaard denied Canning’s claims. He made his decision mainly based on Canning’s reoccurring misbehavior in school and at home within the past year.

    Another hearing is scheduled for April 22 to determine Canning’s legal status.

    Image via YouTube

  • You Probably Shouldn’t Masturbate In A School Hallway If You Want To Remain A Teacher

    It must be hard being a teacher. It must be even harder when you’re a substitute teacher – an unfamiliar face in a hostile environment. Despite all that, they put on a brave face and keep the class in order while the regular teacher is out. For that, we give them our thanks. Our thanks doesn’t give them free reign to relieve themselves in a school hallway though.

    The Courant reports that Michael Luecke, a 72-year-old substitute teacher at Westhill High School was arrested Wednesday for masturbating in public. He wasn’t bashing the bishop in any ol’ public setting though – it was a high school hallway.

    According to the police report, Luecke was caught “suspiciously manipulating the front of his pants while looking at students in the courtyard.” He then moved to the floor where he continued “manipulating his penis” until a school paraprofessional stumbled upon him thinking he was hurt. She quickly realized the sight of geriatric masturbation would scar children for life and notified police and school officials.

    What makes this story even more interesting weird is that the paraprofessional didn’t stop Luecke or detain him. He went on to teach the class he was subbing for until police entered the classroom and arrested him.

    While police arrested Luecke before he could masturbate in any more hallways, surveillance footage shows that six children walked by the teacher as he was playing pocket pool. The school is now trying to identify those six students to see if they need counseling. What’s likely to happen, however, is that none of them even noticed and the school will fracture their innocence by notifying them that they walked past an old man enjoying the view.

    As for Luecke, he was charged with public indecency, breach of peace and risk of injury to minor. He has no prior criminal convictions so he’ll probably get off easy.

    Image via Stamford Police Department

  • Cooking Class Explosion Caused By Heating Hot Cocoa

    A small fire erupted inside a biology lab at Northside College Prep High School while students were participating in a class activity. The project involved heating hot chocolate on a single-burner stove under the supervision of an instructor. The gas used during the activity ultimately triggered the fire; however, the sprinkler system quickly extinguished the flames. According to Chicago Fire Department Spokesman Larry Langford the fire reportedly began around 10:30. “The fire was doused immediately,” Spokesman Langford said.

    School administrators were quick to act during the incident and immediately evacuated the student body, which consisted of roughly 1,000 adolescents. Northside College Prep High School Principal Kelly Mest praised the efforts of staff and students throughout the ordeal to remain calm in spite of the potential trauma.

    Five students were injured as a result of the explosion. Four of these students were taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital for treatment while the fifth student refused treatment. The most severely injured student had noticeable burn damage inflicted on the upper area of the body including the face, hands, and even neck. Two of the students were transported to the hospital in stable condition. One student is reported to have been in good condition.

    Once it was determined that there were no lingering dangers for the students, classes were permitted to resume. Recent reports claim that an investigation is presently underway involving the “routine cooking instruction” that resulted in a classroom fire.

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Pretty Little Liars’ Bellisario Talks Teen Pressures

    Troian Bellisario, who is frequently recognized for her portrayal of Spencer Hastings in Pretty Little Liars, understands the difficulties teens experience when transitioning into adulthood. Bellisario was born into a priviledged Los Angeles family, and appeared to have an ideal life. The television star attended a private school and names Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen as two of her best childhood friends; however, she recently revealed a different picture.

    In an interview with Seventeen, the 28-year-old actress recently spoke about her own struggles when confronted with teenage pressures and how she can identify with Spencer. “I relate to Spencer a lot because I grew up in a very wealthy family around a very wealthy group of people. My high school was a private school where you went to an Ivy League. That’s just what was expected of you and nothing less. So I grew up never being okay with a ‘B’ because a ‘B’ was not good enough,” she said.

    “I would withhold food or withhold going out with my friends, based on how well I did that day in school. Being a teenager is chaotic because you’re kind of coming into your own, but you’re not an adult; you’re fighting with your parents over responsibilities and freedom. I didn’t know what was right and what was wrong, so I think I created this bizarre system of checks and balances to create order in my world. But it really backfired.” Belisario said before adding, “I was the youngest daughter, the perfect little girl. My school was a very intense college prep school. So it was about wanting to please my father and mother and wanting to be perfect to everybody. I just thought if I ever expressed to [my parents] any sadness or anger or anything that’s going on with me, they would disown me. I kept a lot of it bottled up inside, and it turned into self-destructive behavior.”

    Image Via Wikimedia Commons

  • Is this Mascot Offensive? Coachella Valley Asked to Ditch Arab Mascot

    Another school’s mascot is in the news for being offensive, and this time it’s Coachella Valley High School in Southern California. Coachella Valley’s mascot is the Arab and has been for the past 93 years. The mascot features a dark-skinned man who has a crooked nose, heavy beard and wears a traditional Arab head covering. The mascot is also shown with a belly dancer at halftime during football games.

    The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee sent a letter to Coachella Valley Unified School District earlier this month asking them to refrain from using the Arab mascot.

    Check out images of the mascot below.

    Do you find the mascot offensive? Respond below.

    According to the letter policy director Abed Ayoub wrote on behalf of the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), the “ADC strongly believes that use of the word and such imagery perpetuates demeaning stereotypes of Arabs and Arab Americans.”

    “The ‘Arab’ mascot image is a harmful form of ethnic stereotyping which should be eliminated,” Ayoub continued. “By allowing continued use of the term and imagery, you are commending and enforcing the negative stereotypes of an entire ethnic group, millions of whom are citizens of this nation.”

    “We live in a new America now,” Ayoub said. “We’re more racially sensitive and diverse. The logic used to pick that name no longer applies now.”

    While it is said that the mascot was never intended to be offensive–it was selected in the 1920s to recognize the area’s dependence on date farming, a Middle Eastern crop–district superintendent Dr. Darryl S. Adams says he plans to bring up the issue at a school board meeting this month. “We’re very sensitive to that and how we’re going to work to make sure, maybe sometimes you should have some consultations when we’re working with other groups and cultures,” Adams said.

    For anyone interested in supporting the ADC’s attempts to have the Arab mascot removed at Coachella Valley High School, a petition is available online. People interested in signing the petition that wants to “stop ethnic stereotyping” can sign here.

    Image via Twitter

  • Little Elm Lockdown:Threat Prompts High School Lockdown

    Students, staff, and faculty members at Little Elm High School in the aptly named town of Little Elm, Texas were given a shock this morning as the school was placed under lockdown. The school was informed of a threat that had supposedly been posted on a social media platform, and the administration was quick to lock down the school and contact the local police department. The school posted on their Facebook page to inform parents and visitors about the lockdown.

    Post by Little Elm ISD.

    The threat originated from a freshman student at the high school, according to the Little Elm City Manager, Matt Mueller. Mueller went on to say, “We got reports that a freshman student who attends Little Elm High School had made threats on social media. The school is going to err on the side of caution anytime we have a situation like this.” The student was counted as absent during first period, and police searched for him during the lockdown. Supposedly, the student in question had been bullied and had threatened to bring a weapon to school in retaliation.

    Various reports conflicted as new information emerged, with some saying that the student posted the threat on Facebook, and others saying that the student did not post to social media at all, but had rather expressed the threat to friends who had gone on to contact the police. It was eventually confirmed that the later case was the factual one. Reports of gunfire were also thrown into the mix, though these were entirely false; no gun shots were fired during the lockdown, and Litttle Elm High School was sure to report such to their Facebook audience.

    Post by Little Elm ISD.

    The school was released from lockdown around 11:45, and students returned to their classes as normal. The school issued a statement on their website regarding the lockdown, saying that the student suspect had been located and that any students picked up by their guardians after the lockdown were given excused absences. The statement also stressed that no weapons had been found and that, contrary to what had been said early on, the threat had not been made on social media. No one was hurt and the student in question remains in custody.

    [Image courtesy of the Little Elm ISD Facebook page.]

  • Bullying Football Team: Did the Coach Go Overboard in 91-0 Win?

    A high school football coach in Texas was slapped with a formal bullying complaint after his team won 91-0 on Friday. Aledo High School, the football team that put up a score you’d expect to see in a basketball game, has scored 77 points or more in their last four games. This is the first complaint that has been filed against head coach Tim Buchanan for his team’s blowout victories.

    The dad of a player on the team that was blown out, Western Hills High School, claims Buchanan encouraged his players to bully their opponents by running up the score. The dad, who opted not to leave his name in the complaint that went public, said that while the Aledo Bearcats players showed good sportsmanship, he was disappointed with their coach’s actions.

    The father wrote in his complaint that driving his son home after the game was tough because “I did not know what to say on the ride home to explain the behavior of the Aledo coaches for not easing up when the game was in hand.” The dad of the Western Hills player also said, “We all witnessed bullying firsthand, it is not a pretty sight.”

    Buchanan is adamant that no bullying occurred in his team’s win. Not only did he pull his starters in the first quarter, his third string players were on the field when the clock ran out. After the first half was over, the officials began running a clock that didn’t stop unless a timeout or score occurred and in the fourth quarter, the officials used a continuous running clock, so the score could have reached triple digits.

    Do you consider running up the score as Aledo did in their 91-0 victory a form of bullying? Respond below.

    Neither Buchanan or his team were happy over the victory. “We were just sitting there,” Buchanan said. “You’d have thought we got beat. I looked around and asked, ‘Is there anyone here that feels good?’” Buchanan says that while such victories aren’t anything he takes pleasure in, he can’t tell his kids to quit, either.

    “I’m not gonna tell a kid that comes out here and practices six to seven hours a week trying to get ready for football games, ‘Hey, you can’t score a touchdown if you get in, you’re gonna have to take a knee,’ Buchanan said. “That may be the only touchdown that kid gets to score in his high school career.”

    Aledo Independent School District plans to investigate the complaint, but it appears the school district has the head coach’s back. “I can tell you, our kids learn from our coaches’ compassion, and slowing things down,” said Superintendent Derek Citty. “It could have been worse than what it was.”

    The Texas Education Agency provides the following definition of bullying, which will be considered when deciding whether to take action against Buchanan:

    “Bullying occurs when a person is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other persons, and he or she has difficulty defending himself or herself. Bullying is aggressive behavior that involves unwanted, negative actions. Bullying involves a pattern of behavior repeated over time. Bullying involves an imbalance of power or strength.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Kendall and Kylie Jenner Drop out of Private School

    The Kardashian/Jenner family has been all over the news lately, from Khloe’s possible divorce, Lamar’s drinking and alcohol use, and Bruce’s skin cancer surgery, it seems as though the drama never stops for these folks. So, what is going on now? Kris and Bruce are feuding it out over the decision to let their daughters, seventeen-year-old, Kendall and 16-year-old, Kylie become home schooled.

    According to an insider of the family, the girls “had been attending a very elite private school until last year.” It is reported that they were both doing very well at school and Bruce was absolutely against the girls leaving school to work on their careers. He had hopes that they would, instead, attend college.

    We briefly heard a discussion on their television show, “Keeping up with the Kardashians”, about the decision to let Kendall and Kylie become home schooled so that they could further their careers, but no final decisions were shown on screen.

    “This all played out on the reality show, but what viewers didn’t see was the fights between Bruce and Kris. Bruce always wanted the girls to go to college, whereas Kris doesn’t place an emphasis on education. Kris has told the girls they are only young once and they could always go back to school later. She doesn’t want them to miss out on lucrative deals because they are in school,” the source added.

    However, Bruce was adamant about the girls staying in school. “It was very hard for Bruce to watch his girls struggle in school because of their careers. He feels they are missing out on normal teenage experiences such as going to football games, going to Homecoming dances,” the source said.

    But, as usual, Kris had the upper hand on this one. The girls did drop out of their private school and are now being home schooled. It was previously reported that the girls have become out of control. Maybe not having the structure of school, has lead to their wild behavior.

    Even though Bruce didn’t get his way, he still has hopes that his daughters will want to attend college. “There is only so much he can do. It’s his hope that one day soon, the girls will consider going to college because he doesn’t want them to rely on their looks and fame going forward in their lives.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Duck Dynasty Shirt Landed a Student in Hot Water

    As the Duck Commander guys say on A&E’s Duck Dynasty, “You can’t spell ‘stupid’ without ‘S,I,” and that’s a sentiment that many people are feeling after a high school student was forced to take off his Duck Dynasty shirt. The shirt features the popular Uncle Si Robertson with one of his funny sayings, “I will hurt you physically and metaphysically.” School officials at Dinwiddie High School in Virginia found the shirt threatening to the other students.

    Hunter Spain and his family are huge Duck Dynasty fans, the popular show that follows a bunch of self-proclaimed redneck millionaires around watching them do everything from conduct business to duck hunting. “For this to be considered as a threat to the school,” said Edna-Jo Spain, Hunter’s mother, “I couldn’t understand it. Anybody that ever watches Duck Dynasty knows that Si Robertson is famous for his little funny slogans.”

    Considering Duck Dynasty is one of the most popular shows on TV right now, it’s hard to believe that the people at the school would take it seriously, but Hunter was given the choice to turn his Duck Dynasty shirt inside out or go home and change. He opted for the latter and said, “I’m not going to look stupid in front of all of these young ladies in the school. So, I decided to get a different t-shirt.”

    The school has released a statement on the offending Duck Dynasty shirt, and they said that it simply violated dress code. “If you are a Duck Dynasty fan you understand the meaning of the shirt,” said David Clark, school superintendent. “But if you haven’t watched Duck Dynasty you may question if the shirt implies violence. As a school division, we would like to keep our slogans on student shirts as non-violent as possible.”

    What do you think about the Duck Dynasty shirt? Respond below. A lot of Twitter users weren’t too happy about the decision:

    More popular quotes by Uncle Si, some of which have appeared on t-shirts:

    Images via YouTube and Amazon

  • Food Fight Whataburger: Texas Students Apologize

    They say everything is bigger in Texas, and apparently this applies to high school food fights, too. Dozens of students from O’Connor High School and Brandeis High School participated in a crazy food fight at a Northwest San Antonio Whataburger that could have left the students facing criminal charges.

    The following video was taken by a student’s cell phone and posted online–the video quality isn’t great, but you can definitely make out the wild food fight.

    The food fight at Whataburger took place following game where Brandeis defeated rival O’Connor 12-10. According to a statement released by Whataburger, “Clearly the rivalry between select students from these two high schools got out of hand, resulting in a 30-second food fight that required our team to close the dining area for 30 minutes to clean up the mess left behind.”

    Check out the aftermath of the food fight at Whataburger:

    While the restaurant could have pressed charges against students who participated in the food fight, they have decided against it. The kids won’t face any punishment at school, either. School spokesperson Pascual Gonzalez initially said that the students involved in the fight could be suspended. “Campus administrators will review videos to identify students who will face appropriate consequences including suspension from school,” Gonzalez said in a statement.

    Gonzalez has since changed his mind. Even though he says the incident is “still terribly embarrassing and certainly not behavior expected of our high school students,” Gonzalez says there won’t be any punishment handed down. While you can make out the faces of many students in the video clips and photos that were uploaded to Facebook and Twitter, Gonzalez says that isn’t enough evidence to discipline the students.

    Do you think the students should have been disciplined? Comment below. Many Twitter users were outraged at the Whataburger food fight and lack of punishment.

    Images via Daily Caller and Ohio Newsday

  • Transgender Homecoming Queen: Cassidy Campbell Wins

    Cassidy Lynn Campbell, a transgender teen, has become the homecoming queen at her high school in Huntington Beach, California. Campbell, the 16 year old high school senior, broke out in tears during the ceremony on Friday night. She was born a male, but has said that she always felt like a girl. She wanted to run for homecoming queen in order to make a statement to her peers and for other people like her around the world.

    During Marina high’s homecoming pep rally, the homecoming queen candidates was narrowed from ten to five, with Cassidy among them. The next part of the process took place during halftime of the football game, where she was pronounced the winner, according to the Los Angeles Times. Before the election occurred, she told The Times, “If I win it would mean that the school recognizes me as the gender I always felt I was.”

    She was very happy to be awarded homecoming queen and was stunned upon the announcement. This is a big deal for the LGBTQ community, as awareness continues to rise. To be recognized in this way is a very special achievement for Campbell and others like her. Her peers erupted in cheers as she won and upon the announcement that she was one of the finalists. It is impressive to hear that the students reacted this way, because often people that are transgender or other people that align themselves with the LGBTQ community get teased and are disgraced by the people that know them.

    After years of not fitting in, she finally feels like she can be accepted after being crowned the homecoming queen, reports CBS Los Angeles. One of her peers and supporters, Janet Tran, also gave strong support for her classmate when saying “I think it’s really awesome ’cause a lot of people wouldn’t be able to do what she does. I mean … I would be so scared and she’s accepting everything that everyone is saying. She’s taking it all in … in a good way.”

    Her fellow students started chanting her name after she was crowned, and ran down to the field to hug her. Cassidy is certainly correct when saying “I think it really shows the progression of the times.” This is an important step for her and for others in the community in which she lives, as well as other people that live lives like hers. If she is she able to speak out and be open about it, maybe other people will see this and be able to do the same thing.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGZfLe8ujJ8

    Image via Youtube

  • Dreyfoos: Bodies Found at Florida High School

    Police in West Palm Beach, Florida are investigating the discovery of two bodies at an area high school

    According to a WPTV news station report, employees at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts found the bodies early this morning. According to police, the bodies were found in a maintenance area inside the school, with no obvious signs as to their deaths. The names, ages, and genders of the deceased have not yet been released to the public. The Palm Beach county School District has confirmed that one of the bodies is that of a school janitor.

    Police are not yet referring to the deaths as homicides. West Palm Beach Police have stated that the investigation is still too early to determine whether the two people were killed or died in some other way.

    Police, including SWAT teams, secured the school after the deaths were discovered. WPTV has also reported that the FBI had responded at the school, but later left after learning there was not ongoing incident.

    (via WPTV)

  • Minnesota Cheerleader Charged For Pimping Fellow Student

    A Minnesota high school cheerleader now faces sex trafficking charges after allegedly playing madam for a younger student.

    According to an Associated Press report, 18-year-old Montia Marie Parker of Maple Grove, Minnesota has been charged with sex trafficking and promoting prostitution. The girl is accused of driving a 16-year-old fellow student to Johns’ houses for oral sex, and is alleged to have received at least $60 from the younger girl.

    Parker allegedly posted the younger girl’s pictures to an ad in Backpage.com, a Craigslist-type site well-known for the posting of sex worker ads. Parker is also accused of posing as the younger student’s mother to remove her from school to visit a John.

    Parker was caught when the younger girl’s mother went through her daughter’s cell phone, after hearing about the girls unexcused absence at school. According to the school district, Parker has been “permanently removed” from the high school. She is scheduled to face her charges in court on June 12.

  • High School “Cutest Couple” Being Teased

    High School “Cutest Couple” Being Teased

    Two New York high school seniors who were voted “Cutest Couple” in their yearbook superlatives say they’re being teased about it…but not because they’re gay.

    “Our friends are giving it to us about being Internet famous,” said 18-year-old Dylan Meehan.

    Meehan and boyfriend Brad Taylor say the photo has gone viral after being posted to a friend’s blog, and while the knowledge that so many people have now seen them as an openly gay couple was a little daunting at first, they’ve now accepted it.

    “The thought of a photo of us traveling throughout the world would be a bit frightening, but now we are proud to be part of the LGBT community,” the boys said.

    The boys are both well-liked at school and were told by friends that they were hands-down the best nominees for the superlative. And while many other high schools might not be so tolerant of their lifestyles, school principal Kevin Carroll says that at Carmel High, it’s really not an issue. School officials did, however, check with Meehan and Taylor as well as their parents before including their photo in the yearbook.

  • Yearbook Prank Could Result in Felony Charge

    Yearbook Prank Could Result in Felony Charge

    A yearbook prank by a Missouri girl could now bring federal charges.

    According to an Columbia Daily Tribune report, 17-year-old Kaitlyn Booth (pictured), a junior at Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri, could now be facing a felony charge after changing a classmate’s name in the school yearbook. The girl allegedly changed a classmate’s last name to “masturbate” instead of Mastain. According to the Daily Tribune story, Booth could be charged with first-degree property damage and harassment.

    The yearbooks had already been printed when the prank was discovered, and the school declined to reprint some 700 yearbooks at a cost of more than $41,000. Instead, stickers were printed with the student’s real name and placed into each yearbook.

    The girl whose name was changed, Raigan Mastain, told the newspaper that she wasn’t friends with the arrested girl and “hardly knew her at all,” though both worked on the yearbook. Mastain stated that the girl’s action was inappropriate and disappointing, but that she was “shocked” to learn that Booth had been arrested. Mastain also stuck up for Booth, saying that she doesn’t think the prank should affect Booth for the rest of her life.