Jason St. Pierre and Kelly Becnel might want to brush up on their Scripture instead of cherry-picking verses to use against a straight-A student next time.
St. Pierre, the principal at Walker High School in Livingston Parish seems to have taken it upon himself to act as the morality police – even for events that take place away from the school campus.
Granted, a school cannot be a democracy. Chaos would ensue if students were allowed to make administrative and instructional decisions. But neither can a school be a theocracy. It says so right there in our Constitution – that part about the separation of church and state.
And when a school principal is allowed to discipline a teenager over a dance at an event away from the school, that principal has overstepped his authority by a lot.
Seventeen-year-old Kaylee Timonet was enjoying herself, along with several friends to a deejay during a party following the Walker High School homecoming recently. The deejay videotaped Kaylee dancing and laughing and posted it online.
St. Pierre called Kaylee into his office three days later to inform her that he was revoking her title as student government president and that he no longer would follow through on his promised assistance in obtaining her college scholarships. Additionally, she was being ruled ineligible for student of the year honors.
All because, in St. Pierre’s judgment, she wasn’t “living in the Lord’s way.”
Problem is, a lot of people claim to know the “Lord’s way” but in truth, have no concept of true Christianity or compassion. It reminds me of a line uttered by George Burns in the movie Oh God! Way back in the dark ages of the 1970s when he said preachers had long since quit preaching His word.
St. Pierre had the audacity to print out Bible verses, highlighting certain ones for Kaylee. In other words, attempting to force-feed religion to the student.
Where I come from, that’s called grooming, something the evangelicals are supposedly so vehemently opposed to. I suppose that, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.
So, though I am a layman in the truest sense of the word, I want to take this opportunity to suggest a few Bible verses for St. Pierre to read and digest:
I will begin with the obvious one that comes to mind:
- Matthew 7:1 and Luke 6:37. “Judge not, that you be not judged.”
- John 8:7. “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone.”
- Matthew 7:3. “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye?”
For that matter, I wonder if St. Pierre likes bacon? Does he mix the fabrics of his clothing? Does they like catfish, blackened alligator? Cut his hair? Ever sold any land or worked on the Sabbath? Mistreated foreigners?
All sinful, according to the Good Book.
Just a few things he might want to consider before getting all up in a student’s personal life.
Louisiana Voice 
Thank you for calling out the hypocrisy in this Principal’s actions. I find this as disingenuous as I’m sure the Principal and Vice Principal believe drag shows are “grooming” where this is more “guidance and counseling” for the student. What’s next? Involuntary baptisms on campus?
The school administration, by not allowing the student to have a parent present during the punishment process for the student has to violate some School Board policy at the very least and justice for them should be swift and punitive for those who violated this young lady’s rights. In my mind, the printout of the Bible verses should be Exhibit #1 for the lawsuit against the administrators directly involved and the school board.
If Mr St Pierre has such convictions, I’m sure there’s no shortage of “Christian” schools in the area who will applaud his actions and snatch him up as soon as he fired (hopefully) by the School Board. If I were this girl’s parents, I would do everything possible to ensure he is held personally liable from a financial perspective and will force him to, gee I don’t know, perhaps ensure that the scholarship money is fully covered, but substantial enough to cover her tuition and fees at the university of her choice for four years.
Amen! I am furious about this for so many reasons, but the attempted conversion tops the cake! How big an idiot is an educator today who doesn’t know that is unconstitutional and illegal? I guess he thinks he is insulated out there in rural Livingston parish, but I hope the school board and Superintendent have enough sense to replace him immediately. And yes, provide some of the scholarship money this young lady has lost and some professional counseling to try to help undo the damage to her.
If St. Pierre isn’t sued into poverty he should consider it the luckiest break of his life.
👍🏻🎯
Why was John the Baptist’s head cut off?
…Herodius’s dancing daughter…
just sayin’
So, whom do you suggest needs beheading?
What religious sect does Jason St. Pierre belong to? If it was a sect of Muslim, media would report it to the readers.
It’s important to know if it’s right wing Catholic like the conservative majority on the US Supreme Court Justices or, a different Christian sect. (1) The legal scholar credited as most influential in advancing religious charter schools is Amy Comey Barrett’s friend, Prof. Nicole Stelle Garnet at Notre Dame.
(2) Read at Bloomberg Law about the Jones Day law firm. The reporting tells readers that the law firm contacted Catholic organizations offering to provide pro bono services. The result was 12 lawsuits representing 38 Catholic organizations.
(3) Taxpayers have made Catholic organizations the nation’s 3rd largest employer. The Barrett decision in Biel v. St. James Catholic school exempted religious schools from civil rights employment law.
(4) Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education offers regular summits on school choice. A Jones Day lawyer was the Chairman of the Ohio Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
Btw- the Oho Supreme Court ruled charter schools are not public, they are private (and, funded by unwitting and/or powerless taxpayers).
There is another connection Woody Jenkins, Betsy Devos, and ERIK PRINCE, who is now consultant with all of the oil/gas money in the Mideast, providing Security?? forgot Family Research Council and Perkins. The sanctimony is staggering, Great article and great comments, especially LL. Flashback to days at DOTD legal, dear friend, Ric Sandifer, wore a t-shirt to a crawfish boil, Jesus is coming again, and Boy is he pissed!