There are times in our lives when we mistakenly believe that an authority figure has our best interests in mind… when really their only vested interest is in their own authority—and their ability to wield it with impunity. Yes, these people grew up believing that the phrase “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” was some kind of challenge—a promise of reward for tyranny.
In 7th grade, this student got into trouble for using inappropriate language towards a teacher and received an in-school suspension for three days. During this time, they got an additional two days of suspension for the simple act of smiling. The student disagreed with the principal’s handling of these situations, finding them to be specifically targeting what the principal perceived to be insubordination as a means of control rather than an actual infraction of real rules.
The student started writing letters to the superintendent about various incidents where they believed the principal showed poor leadership—like not intervening to stop fights and allowing disrespectful behavior from other students. The principal confronted the student and their parents about the letters, claiming they had limited freedom of speech at school. With their parent’s support, the student continued to write the letters, eventually receiving an encouraging response from the superintendent.
When they returned to school the following year for 8th grade… the principal was nowhere to be seen.
