On October 8, Walker High School Principal Jason St. Pierre apologized to the girl dancing at a party, whom he said he would remove from her student government position and would no longer receive a college scholarship.
Kaylee Timonet, 17, a student government president and scholarship candidate, is the girl caught dancing in the videotape at an off-campus party during the Walker High School's Homecoming.
Louisiana Principal Expresses Late Apology, Timonet Misses Scholarship Deadline
St. Pierre has extended his apologies to Timonet and her mother about the incident through an issued statement.
"I believe it is necessary to respond to the public attention that has resulted from my actions regarding Kaylee Timonet's participation in a dance party that was sponsored at an off-site location following WHS Homecoming," St. Pierre said.
He made amends by returning Timonet's position from the student government and pushing through her scholarship recommendation. However, St. Pierre's apology was a little too late, as the day he took back his decision, it was already way past Timonet's scholarship deadline.
Timonet and her mother uploaded a video to respond to the apology statement of St. Pierre.
"It's too little, too late," Timonet's mother, Rachel Timonet, said.
"I let him know that the scholarship deadline was done, and the damage that he's done to her is done," Rachel added.
St. Pierre Questions Timonet's Religious Beliefs
St. Pierre mentioned in The Advocate that Timonet's dancing at an off-campus party is a means of not "living in the Lord's way."
He even printed out Bible verses to teach the teenager, asked her who her friends were, and insisted that they needed the Lord's guidance. St. Pierre also posted a statement on the Livingston Parish Public Schools district Facebook page and reversed his religious statement about the incident, as witnessed by Timonet's mother.
"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," he said.
The Facebook post received a lot of bashful comments. One student supported Timonet, saying, "Let the girl dance," and made a t-shirt out of the quote.
Timonet's fellow students encouraged her to dance and post the videos on her social media. Furthermore, Timonet's mother expressed her disappointment and said the incident was unrelated to faith or religious beliefs.
Timonet's mother added that it is no longer the school's concern when her daughter is outside the premises of the school. Delia Taylor, a Livingston Parish School District spokesperson, assured the Timonet family that the incident would be further investigated.
According to Livingston Parish Public Schools Superintendent Joe Murphy, on Monday, the district officials confirmed that St. Pierre took a leave for the rest of the year and is just waiting to process his papers.
