A high school student in Louisiana says her principal unfairly disciplined her for what he deemed inappropriate behavior. Jason St. Pierre, principal at Walker High School in Livingston Parish, reportedly saw a video of Kaylee Timonet, a 17-year-old senior, dancing at a private homecoming after-party and was reportedly unimpressed. But the way he handled the situation has many people upset.
In an interview with Unfiltered with Kiran, Kaylee claims she was dancing with friends at an after-party on September 30. A video of the evening was reportedly sent to the school, and St. Pierre allegedly stripped her of her student government association presidency and claimed he would not endorse her for scholarships after seeing it. But as ire among the community began to circulate, the principal has reportedly backpedaled and now has a new take on the situation.
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Kaylee said she saw the video.
The senior told the news outlet that St. Pierre asked her if she wanted to look at the video in question during her meeting with him. She claimed she had already seen it and "didn't think anything of it."
Kaylee said she has been a dancer her entire life and likes to have fun. St. Pierre allegedly made her watch it despite her resistance, and the senior said she cried.
St. Pierre reportedly stripped Kaylee of her position in student government.
She said the evidently disappointed principal said she would no longer be allowed to serve as the Student Government Association president because she was not acting "Godly" and that she should be ashamed of herself. The principal allegedly brought religion into the conversation, which Kaylee said bothered her.
Her mother, Rachel Timonet, added that St. Pierre was supposed to endorse Kaylee on a scholarship application but then said he would no longer help her.
"They were just having fun," Timonet's mom said. "She should not be questioned or spoken about faith at all. It's a public school, not a private school."
At the time, Kaylee said she felt like her lifelong hard work was ruined.
As Kaylee's story spread, the community came out in droves to support her.
Friends, family, and even strangers began to talk about the alleged situation on social media, and her story went viral.
Natalie Bird shared a post about Kaylee in the Facebook group What's Going On In Walker, LA. She claimed that Kaylee's classmates at Walker High School stand with their friend and believe she was mistreated.
"The students are STARTING A MOVEMENT at this point and want everyone in the community to back Kaylee and then [rise] up in support of her. They want CHANGE," she wrote in her post. "Most of the kids from what I understand are behind the scenes because they too are in fear of being reprimanded for something they did not do or deserve. So, you have an entire school full of kids that are in fear of who is leading them and this situation with Kaylee has solidified that. They want Kaylee to get everything that was stripped of her and her scholarship back."
After the story went viral, St. Pierre reportedly had a change of heart.
In the days since his meeting with Kaylee, the principal spoke out about the incident and said he would reinstate her position in student government and her scholarship endorsement. He also made it a point to discuss his comments about God.
"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," a statement he posted on Facebook reads.
"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," his statement continued. "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."
St. Pierre has reportedly decided to step down for the rest of the year.
Per a statement in the Advocate, St. Pierre has requested a leave of absence for what remains of the 2023-24 school year. The administration is processing his request.
"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."
