Teenage boy called out for wearing high heels to school

[Duke]

Students often face disciplinary action for being scantily clad in class.
But one male Bay Area student was sent to the principal’s office for showing up to Riverview High School in high heels, reports My Fox Tampa Bay.
“He likes the way they make him feel. They make him feel more confident, and he just likes to wear them,” said Hayley Stepp, who said she’s a friend of the unidentified male student.
A teacher notified the school principal and said that the boy’s high heels were distracting to the classroom. Principal Bob Heilmann reports there was name calling, so he instructed the young man to remove the shoes.
“As a principal of a high school, I have to take the paternal side as well, I have to make sure he’s going to be okay,” Heilmann told Fox, adding he was worried the student would be subjected to bullying. “Anytime anyone goes out from, quote, ‘the norm,’ or anytime anyone wants to make a statement, you have to be willing to take what comes with it.”
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Fox spoke with lots of Riverview High School students, many of whom said they viewed the environment there as open and accepting.
“I think it wasn’t really that big of a deal. If he wants to do it, then he can do it,” said sophomore Sarah Strawn.
But not all classmates were supportive of the unnamed teenager’s choice.
“I don’t think guys should wear heels. Personally, that’s my opinion,” said junior Kjai Betts.
Some students organized a small protest to recognize what had happened to the guy in heels.
“One boy wore a dress on Monday and after we chatted about it, he decided not to,” Heilmann said, adding that the student caved and changed his clothes. “I was concerned about his safety.”
The guy who sported heels was not punished for his actions.


***What is the world coming to??!!!!!***

 

[Bat-Mite]

***What is the world coming to??!!!!!***

What is the world coming to, indeed. This is the last form of blatant sexism that's still alive and well and going almost completely unchallenged in our society. It was a problem in my school too, where girls were allowed to wear earrings, but boys would be forced to remove them. We all know this would be a very DIFFERENT issue if this had been a girl wearing a man's shoes. Nobody would have even taken notice. It's okay for a girl to wear something masculine, because masculine is something ideal and strong, whereas something feminine is supposed to be seen as weak instead of empowering. Inbred redneck good ole boys will keep getting their way for years to come, it seems.

 

[terry78]

Well, if they were clashing with his other accessories, you can kind of see it from their pov. They do have to adhere to the fashion do's and don'ts.

 

[Immortalfire]

Well, if they were clashing with his other accessories, you can kind of see it from their pov. They do have to adhere to the fashion do's and don'ts.

 

[scifiwolf]

It's kind of hard for me to take any side in this. I wonder how much it's an attention-grabbing move. If he genuinely likes the way the heels feel, then there are inserts for shoes that do the same thing. I like wearing my old shorts from high school football, even though I've outgrown them and they're way too short. They're still comfortable as hell, but I'm not going to wear 'em to the gym.

 

[chaseter]

I thought that all women hated high heels??? Why would they be comfortable?

He needs to get those shape up shoes if he is looking to make his booty pop.

 

[Immortalfire]

Or he could just buy a Booty Pop from the TV commercial.

 

[Spider-Who?]

IMO, I think it's less that he wore them to feel more confident and was more comfortable, and it was more of him wanting attention.

 

[Duke]

IMO, I think it's less that he wore them to feel more confident and was more comfortable, and it was more of him wanting attention.

Well he certainly got it! LOL

 

[Mary Jane Watson]

It is new fashion style for man. It is hot right now.

 

[Venomfan]

maybe im missing something but i dont see the problem. the shoes were causing the class to be disrupted because the bullies wouldnt shut up so they asked him to take them off. the principal sounds like he was looking out for the kid to, not wanting him to get bullied. sounds to me like they were just taking precaution.

 

[Duke]

maybe im missing something but i dont see the problem. the shoes were causing the class to be disrupted because the bullies wouldnt shut up so they asked him to take them off. the principal sounds like he was looking out for the kid to, not wanting him to get bullied. sounds to me like they were just taking precaution.

Or the brand name of the shoes or where he bought them at.......t:

 

[Valaquen]

Sure the French Army wore heels as stirrups back in the day. It's coming back :P

 

[Ultra Lantern]

Wait until the boy starts wearing makeup and a bra.

 

[The Morningstar]

He should have been made to walk around with them on for a week. See how much he likes them then.

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Now Skeeter, he ain't hurting nobody...

 

[Manic]

The principal is trying to cover up the REAL reason he asked the boy to take off his heels: He clearly had no clue how to walk in them, and he was only embarrassing himself.

 

[The Question]

He should have been made to walk around with them on for a week. See how much he likes them then.

Because we should totally punish him for... doing what, exactly?

 

[Shemtov]

What is the world coming to, indeed. This is the last form of blatant sexism that's still alive and well and going almost completely unchallenged in our society. It was a problem in my school too, where girls were allowed to wear earrings, but boys would be forced to remove them. We all know this would be a very DIFFERENT issue if this had been a girl wearing a man's shoes. Nobody would have even taken notice. It's okay for a girl to wear something masculine, because masculine is something ideal and strong, whereas something feminine is supposed to be seen as weak instead of empowering. Inbred redneck good ole boys will keep getting their way for years to come, it seems.

First of all, from what I got from the article, the school wasn't the problem; other students were; and the school felt powerless to stop them; they probably felt they protecting HIM ( and the integrity of the class room). It may not be fair; but nobody said the world was fair.
And I think your using the wrong term; it's not sexism; it's transphobia and very possibly homophobia.

 

[The Question]

First of all, from what I got from the article, the school wasn't the problem; other students were; and the school felt powerless to stop them; they probably felt they protecting HIM ( and the integrity of the class room). It may not be fair; but nobody said the world was fair.
And I think your using the wrong term; it's not sexism; it's transphobia and very possibly homophobia.

If a person is willing to do something that he knows will draw negative attention from others and goes ahead with it in spite of it, then the school's not helping things by trying to force him to stop. He's the one who ultimately has to face the consequences and if he decides that they're worth his self expression then it's his business and his battle to fight. The school, like almost every school in first world society, runs on the notion that it's their job to fight people's battles for them and control their behavior and activities for their own good. The public school system is the last safe haven in the United States for a fascist.

 

[Lunar_Wolf]

This kid and his friends need to stop *****ing and moaning. ''Oh, I can't wear my poor high heels'', **** off. I wore a uniform everyday to school for 12 years and let me tell you, one of my uniforms were all brown. I looked like ****. Worse part is, everyone looked the same. Sometimes I couldn't find my friends.

I wore trainers with my uniform one day and got detention. This kid needs a stone cold ass whooping.

 

[The Question]

This kid and his friends need to stop *****ing and moaning. ''Oh, I can't wear my poor high heels'', **** off. I wore a uniform everyday to school for 12 years and let me tell you, one of my uniforms were all brown. I looked like ****. Worse part is, everyone looked the same. Sometimes I couldn't find my friends.

I wore trainers with my uniform one day and got detention. This kid needs a stone cold ass whooping.

Or, you know, we could not treat kids like that. That might be a better idea.

Just because the individual rights of pre-college students being casually disrespected is the norm, and in some cases is much worse than what happened here, doesn't mean that this young man doesn't deserve and shouldn't expect to be treated better.

 

[terry78]

Just go to Hot Topic and buy another Invader Zim belt buckle like everybody else does.

 

[Manic]

If a person is willing to do something that he knows will draw negative attention from others and goes ahead with it in spite of it, then the school's not helping things by trying to force him to stop. He's the one who ultimately has to face the consequences and if he decides that they're worth his self expression then it's his business and his battle to fight. The school, like almost every school in first world society, runs on the notion that it's their job to fight people's battles for them and control their behavior and activities for their own good. The public school system is the last safe haven in the United States for a fascist.

If the school had let this kid get in a fight with other students over his heels, and if he lost the fight, his parents/guardians would've no doubt blamed the school for failing to run interference before things got that far. That could mean negative press, jobs on the line, lawsuits, etc. Schools are not only expected to educate students, but also to babysit them. It's what many tax-paying parents want.

 

[SpeterMan3]

My cousin used to go to that school.


Everything happens in Florida... anybody else notice that?