Principal sides with the bullies, suspends student

[Wilfire]

LEBANON, Tenn. — A Tennessee high school student’s anti-bullying video has resulted in nearly 600,000 views on YouTube and a suspension for its creator.

Lebanon High School student Emily Gipson said school administrators accused her of “trying to incite violence” and gave her a two-day in-school suspension for the video entitled “Welcome to Lebanon High School,” posted Jan. 22.

In the video, prompted by a classmate’s October suicide, she asks students to treat each other better. It’s a broad indictment of campus culture, but contains neither profanity nor calls for direct action.

“Welcome to Lebanon High School, where smiles are fake and suicide prevention is something to laugh at,” she said in the video, criticizing her peers’ reaction to the Stop It app the Wilson County school had put out in response to the death.

Her ire was not restricted to students, however. Perhaps the harshest words in Gipson’s free-verse speech were reserved for school administration.

“Posters say ‘Smile’ and ‘Be happy,’ but how am I supposed to be happy in a world — no, in a community — where creativity is put down, where the people who make fun of others never get punished because ‘There’s no proof,’ or ‘There’s nothing we can do about it,’ or, my favourite, ‘Kids will be kids,”‘ she says in the video.

“So let’s summarize: We’re expected to come to this emotional prison every day, and we’re expected to forgive the bullies because the authorities are sure they didn’t mean it. Sometimes I wonder how many kids it takes dying to make a difference.”

Principal Scott Walters told The Lebanon Democrat he can’t discuss the 16-year-old’s punishment, but said he took issue with the fact that the free-verse speech was recorded in a classroom without a teacher’s permission. Gipson disputed that, saying she had two coaches’ permission.

Walters also said the video hurt his feelings, and those of teachers, too.

We're expected to forgive the bullies because the authorities are sure they didn't mean it

He said he’s received feedback from parents and students who didn’t agree with the video, including a gift from a student who told him he was doing a good job. He also said people could learn from Gipson’s viewpoint.

“I can appreciate the perspective of the video,” Walters said. “Of course, she’s 16, and her perspective is going to be different from mine.”

Kenneth Gipson, her grandfather and guardian, said the principal told him the only reason the teen was punished was because she didn’t have permission to take the video on school grounds. “I don’t have a problem with that. She violated their policies,” he told The Associated Press

But Gipson says he’s proud of his granddaughter for expressing herself.

“I applaud her for taking a stance. She’s speaking against something that is obviously an issue in today’s society — today’s schools especially. I don’t have a problem with the videos at all. I wish she hadn’t of done the first one the way she did it inside the classroom, but as far as the message goes, I’m all for the message. I think she’s done a great job in bringing to light a very sensitive and needed subject.”

Gipson said her punishment is worth the good she feels the video has produced.

Then she posted another spoken-word poem on Youtube, titled “Have I Made a Difference Yet?” urging teenagers like her to speak up.

“I never knew that it would get this big, and through it getting this big I’ve learned a lesson: This is not my school, this is everyone’s school, this is a national problem,” she said.

http://leaderpost.com/news/world/16-...8-48cb175c4232

Someone bringing up a real issue is problematic but gangs of violent thugs stalking the school grounds and abusing students is not? I bet the principal is grooming those bullies to be his personal hit squad.

[PosPosPos]

He said he’s received feedback from parents and students who didn’t agree with the video, including a gift from a student who told him he was doing a good job. He also said people could learn from Gipson’s viewpoint.

Sounds like a pretty substantial one given that he sold his soul for it.

[Deleted]

What is with this source? :/

Not really relevant since bad journalists at work.

[AeneasBK]

Sounds like a pretty substantial one given that he sold his soul for it.

Is it impossible to imagine that the principle chose this job because he genuinely wants to try to help kids education and that he may have in fact been affected by the suicide of one of his students? If tackling bullying was easy it wouldn't really exist anymore, for all the drive to reduce/remove if from schools.

Or did I totally misunderstand you?

[Doctor Amadeus]

Seems like a difficult issue, seems like the girls was just expressing herself which is good, however in our current climate the fact is, something like this can easily spiral out of control.

It isn't too uncommon for someone who was bullies to then go ahead and seek social media only to then tell one side of the story, and the person who was the bullied becomes the bully. I suppose if I injected bias here, I could feel another kind of way about this, but honestly this is one of those situations where it seems like a tough call.

[namecraft]

I'd throw a stone through the principles window

[PosPosPos]

Is it impossible to imagine that the principle chose this job because he genuinely wants to try to help kids education and that he may have in fact been affected by the suicide of one of his students?

There's an almost non-existent chance, I guess, that he's just utterly misguided. As for the most probable situation is that he's accepting bribes from students(naturally given by their parents) to cover up and smooth off their bullying of other students.

If tackling bullying was easy it wouldn't really exist anymore, for all the drive to reduce/remove if from schools.

Nobody said it was easy, just don't make things more difficult by punishing the victims of bullying and letting the bullies get off scot-free in the same breath.

Or did I totally misunderstand you?

Are you a bully advocate or did I misunderstand you?

[un_known]

She was suspended because she took an illegal video on school grounds without permission, what she did film wise was pure genius and I’d love to see more people take up arms in this but you still gotta follow school policies if you want to record on site.

Plus she said one thing she got punished for “trying to incite violence” while later on it was said she was punished for recording illegally on site. Something doesn’t add up

[Doctor Amadeus]

She was suspended because she took an illegal video on school grounds without permission, what she did film wise was pure genius and I’d love to see more people take up arms in this but you still gotta follow school policies if you want to record on site

Sometimes the law is wrong, and sometimes it's ok to break those laws if it's for a greater good, if done peacefully and civilly it can effect real change. The reason being that if the issues is forced, for address, and people are uncomfortable enough through whatever personal sacrifice on the behalf of the demonstrator, the question eventually has to become, what is it either side is really willing to give up either to be right, or for their to actually be a resolve.

[Noradin]

The ends do not justify the means, she cannot violate other peoples rights just because her intentions are supposedly* good.
*It is possible that she just did if for the attention or other selfish reasons.

[un_known]

The ends do not justify the means, she cannot violate other peoples rights just because her intentions are supposedly* good.
*It is possible that she just did if for the attention or other selfish reasons.

Sometimes the law is wrong, and sometimes it's ok to break those laws if it's for a greater good, if done peacefully and civilly it can effect real change. The reason being that if the issues is forced, for address, and people are uncomfortable enough through whatever personal sacrifice on the behalf of the demonstrator, the question eventually has to become, what is it either side is really willing to give up either to be right, or for their to actually be a resolve.

Isn’t that the reason why we have something called confidential agreement? Sensitive information etc that some people/parents/students that want to be kept away from public?

[Doctor Amadeus]

Isn’t that the reason why we have something called confidential agreement? Sensitive information etc that some people/parents/students that want to be kept away from public?

It is but I am personally not a slave to laws, especially ones I didn't agree too, or haven't made and special oath to recognize. Unlike say someone who is enlisted who might be told things or required.

There is the social contract sure, I mean I wouldn't go out of my way to be a dick, if say the rule is you have to do this or do that, well "When in Rome" however within reason, and there could be very justified reasons to prohibit something, just as I feel their could be just as justified of reasons for going against the law.

I don't think good or honest people seek to go on and have a problem, but sometimes an issues demands it, even if I don't agree with someone or like it, I think the price to be paid for freedom is to at least give a good faith and effort to do all possible to meet a concern.


Sometimes the many are wrong, sometimes the few are wrong, but we have to know why. Laws and words written on paper, don't keep people safe or keep people good, that has to come from somewhere else.

[Deleted]

I wonder if there has ever existed a school or any kind of an institution where the people in power have actually had the decency and courage to stop bullies and bullying completely, instead of half-measures or complete ignorance of it altogether.

[Noradin]

Sometimes the many are wrong, sometimes the few are wrong, but we have to know why. Laws and words written on paper, don't keep people safe or keep people good, that has to come from somewhere else.

And sometimes both sides are wrong.
What this girl did is effectively a case of bullying.

[the game]

I wonder if there has ever existed a school or any kind of an institution where the people in power have actually had the decency and courage to stop bullies and bullying completely, instead of half-measures or complete ignorance of it altogether.

As someone who was bullied. Please tell me how to stop bullying completely.

[Pawstruck]

Annnnnnd anyone who's worked with children and read the first line agreed with the suspension.

What a prick little girl.

[Doctor Amadeus]

And sometimes both sides are wrong.
What this girl did is effectively a case of bullying.

I'm going to stop short of saying that, or making any accusations either way, but I do think the potential for that of being the case is real, especially with the amount of attention we have seen some people get for saying they been bullied, and suddenly everyone popping out of the woodwork falling all over themselves to help or raise money and guest spots on Ellen.

Don't get me wrong I don't know ether way, and it's great if this is all on the up and up, but now days yeah, unfortunately taking that chance is a risk too.

[Deleted]

Just let teens be teens. They will figure it out amongst themselves.

[Ornerybear]

I have friends who used to have kids in that school system, it's a pretty backwards poorly run one. I'd imagine the administration is just trying to make as many people happy to keep their jobs more than anything, screw their toxic climate that is requiring students to break school rules to bring up an issue that should be able to be addressed without her putting her face/voice out there.

[Machismo]

Principals and school administrators want one thing more than anything else... order. They will go to great lengths to maintain that order, even demonstrating complete hypocrisy. My high school expelled a guy for laughing at a picture of boobs that someone else drew. They literally kicked him out for sexual harassment. In a wonderful case of irony, that guy became a teacher, and now teaches at that school. The principal was fired for... sexual harassment.