Principal Jason St Pierre who removed high schooler from student government over twerking video requests leave

A Louisiana high school principal who rescinded an honor student’s scholarship recommendation and kicked her off the student government association over a “twerking” video has reversed course and requested a leave of absence following an uproar over the discipline.

Walker High principal Jason St Pierre put in an application with the local school district for a leave of absence for the remainder of the school year after throngs of fellow students came to the support of senior Kaylee Timonet and called for his resignation, the Livingston Parish News reported.

Last week, St Pierre pulled Timonet into a one-on-one meeting in which he accused the public school student of not “following God’s ideals” after a video of her dancing with a friend at an off-campus event was shared on social media.

The 17-year-old was seen dancing behind a friend who was reportedly “twerking” at a private homecoming after-party on Sept. 30 in the footage, which has since been deleted.

The DJ who worked the event at Livingston Parish Country Club — and filmed and posted the video — described the teens’ dancing as harmless and “genuinely kids having fun.”

The student’s mother had choice words for the principal who she claimed unfairly targetted her daughter because she is “the hood-ornament” of the high school.

Timonet’s classmates quickly rallied behind her — even selling T-shirts with slogans like, “Let the Girl Dance” and “I stand with Kaylee Timonet,” which have also been plastered across social media in solidarity.

Following the groundswell of support, St Pierre announced that he would reinstate Timonet to her position in the student government association and reinstate his endorsements of her for the scholarship programs in a post to Facebook Sunday night.

“Our student government members are held to a high standard of student behavior,” he said in the statement. “While I stand by that premise, I do believe that standard deserves the input of not just myself and top administrators, but also those student leaders.”

The principal said he apologized to the senior and her mother in addition to taking “corrective action.”

The student’s mother, however, said the reversal and apology took far too long. The scholarship was due Oct. 3.

“It’s too little, too late,” Rachel Timonet told WAFB. “…[St Pierre] mentioned reinstating the scholarship, I let him know that the scholarship deadline was done, and the damage that he’s done to her is done. I also told him I gave them the opportunity when I came in there at 7 o’ clock the next morning, to try and rectify the situation at that point. Now, with somebody holding his hand forcing him to do something, an apology being enforced it’s too late.”

The high schooler said the outpouring of support helped her through the challenge.

“The video was not inappropriate whatsoever. I was just so afraid that people were going to hate me after that, so seeing that people were supporting me no matter what and seeing that my accomplishments were still noticed means the world,” she said.