Teen Girl's Scholarship Removed After She Is Recorded Dancing At A Homecoming After Party — The Principal Was 'Concerned For Her Afterlife'
The principal had no right to respond in the way that he did.
Billion Photos, Sckrepka, Hailshadow, wundervisuals | Canva A 17-year-old senior from Walker, Louisiana, named Kaylee Timonet was stripped of all her academic accomplishments following the release of a video from a homecoming after-party that occurred on September 30, 2023.
When the video was made public, the principal of Walker High School saw it and decided to punish her for the way she danced with her friend, despite pleas from several involved parties, including her mother, that the dancing was harmless.
Kaylee Timonet had her scholarship revoked for ‘twerking’ at a homecoming after-party.
On the morning of October 3, 2023, Timonet was called into principal Jason St. Pierre’s office to discuss the video that was sent in — the meeting was to discuss the punishment she would receive.
“They basically told me I was kicked off of student government because of a video that was sent in,” Timonet told Unfiltered With Kiran. “I just started crying hysterically. I was really, really upset because student government is the best thing that happened to me during high school. 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.”
Not only was Timonet stripped of her title as the Student Government Association (SGA) President, but she also, with a 4.2 grade-point average (GPA), lost the principal’s endorsement of her college scholarship as he subsequently removed the application from the pool.
Walker High School is a public school, and the homecoming after-party was a completely private event — hosted by the Timonet family every year as a tradition. The harsh punishment Timonet received was shocking, especially when measured against her mother’s statement regarding the matter.
“We’ve done this pretty much every year since my son has been in middle school,” said Rachel Timonet, who was present at the party. “I saw her with my own eyes doing specifically what was on the video."
"I mean, she’s been a dancer since before she [was] two years old," she continued. "I mean, that is what I had the venue for, for kids to come, dance, and have fun. So as far as how people dance or what somebody determines is inappropriate dancing, I mean, to me, they were just having fun. There was nothing inappropriate to me.”
DJ Savage, who performed at the party and posted the video as a promotional piece online, offered the same sentiment. “I have been a DJ for over 10 years, and how those kids were dancing, was not bad. I have seen much worse. It was genuinely kids having fun,” he said.
Following the backlash, the principal apologized — but it was 'too little, too late.'
Timonet received an outpouring of support online from her own peers as well as people around the country because of the injustice she faced. As a result of the backlash, an investigation into the situation by the Livingston Parish School Board has been launched.
On October 8, 2023, Principal St. Pierre finally provided some semblance of an update regarding the situation through the Walker High School app that all students have access to.
“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.
Principal St. Pierre claimed that he would reinstate her position as the SGA president and would reinstate his scholarship endorsement. However, the deadline for the scholarship application was on October 3, 2023 — the same date he withdrew it — so there would be no possible way to reinstate it unless he was in contact with the Senate.
Second, the principal did not have a scheduled meeting with Timonet’s mother as she declined the meeting that was requested in order for the principal to apologize.
"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, which Timonet confirmed was also untrue from her end. "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."
As a result of the public backlash, district officials issued a statement on that Principal St. Pierre requested leave for the rest 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 in a statement on Monday, October 9, 2023. "The district office is awaiting his paperwork to process his request."
The Timonets have not accepted the principal’s apology and will continue to fight against the injustice that her daughter has faced with the country’s support behind them.
Isaac Serna-Diez is an Assistant Editor for YourTango who focuses on entertainment and news, social justice, and politics.