What is it about some small towns and their distaste of dancing?
In Walker, Louisiana, there was a 17-year-old student who was caught on video dancing at an off-campus party following the local high school’s homecoming festivities.
This wasn’t just any girl, though. She was the student government president as well as a scholarship candidate.
Walker High School’s principal, Jason St. Pierre, removed her from her position on the student government and said that he wouldn’t be recommending her for college scholarships. He told the student that she wasn’t “living in the Lord’s way.” He had Bible verses printed out and had the audacity to question who her friends were and “if they followed the Lord.”
In case you’re wondering, this was a public school.
The principal is not allowed to discipline a student for actions that happened outside of school hours and OFF campus.
Besides, it was dancing.
Parents have been very vocal about what happened.
St. Pierre has reversed course when he published a statement on the Facebook page for the Livingston Parish Public Schools.
“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.”
What this principal did was wrong. It is up to the parents to determine religion, not the school principal – or any other school official.
As for dancing being something that is against religious standards, it would be interesting to hear what St. Pierre has to say about Footloose. He was probably on the side of the father at the beginning of the movie and turned it off before Kevin Bacon ever showed off his fancy footwork.
