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Loading...When Bullying Backfires: Asperger’s Student Voted Homecoming Princess
14-year-old Rachel Sampson has been voted homecoming princess at her high school in Poway in southern California. Rachel has Asperger’s Syndrome; as her mother, Kathleen Sampson, says of her, “Rachel has a lot of friends, but she doesn’t socialize outside of school, that’s a little too difficult for her right now.” As a cruel prank, some students put Rachel’s name on the ballot for homecoming princess. But then, after other students learned about this, they rallied and voted for Rachel — and she won.
NBC Actions News interviewed Rachel:
Rachel wasn’t discouraged [about the prank]. “I decided that if it was a mean joke, it would drive those kids really nuts if I actually won and had a lot of fun with it.”
Rachel’s mom got on Facebook and spread the word about what happened. It went viral.
“The community of Poway and the students at Poway High School do not tolerate bullying, and they made that very clear with their voting,” Kathleen said.
And if Rachel thought she had a lot of friends before, she’s certainly got a lot more now.
“I’m just hoping that other kids who have been bullied are going to get a message from this and other kids who are bullies realize what they’re doing is wrong,” Rachel said.
In other words, some Poway High School students’ attempt to intimidate and mock Rachel did not just backfire, but has had a positive outcome, to say the least.
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Sadly, too many cases of bullying do not have an upbeat ending like Rachel’s. What especially stands out is how other students and the school community quickly reacted on behalf of her and thereby turned a mean-spirited prank into a statement of solidarity. What if other — if most, if all — school communities took such a stance against bullying and showed that being a bully is something people refuse to tolerate?
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Read more: Anti-bullying, asperger's syndrome, aspergers, autism, bully, bullying, disability, high school, homecoming, poway high school, rachel sampson
Photo by KrazyKaty
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Recent Comments from Causes
What a great concept. Congratulations Piplantri village for thinking outside the box!
Tyvm...
I have seen all these animals except badgers. Since they are ferocious I can get over it!
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341 comments
+ add your ownThis is not the first time something like this happened at Poway High School. When I was a Sr there in '83 the Soph class nominated Eric Bowersox as homecoming prince as a prank. He too was elected, and the class with which he carried it off has made me remember him to this day.
I was voted class pest Thomas Stone HS 1988. Maybe not because of the Asperger but because I had relocated to West Virginia. A safe target...
It is a matter of history and they can't change what they said. Presumably a majority of the 320 something of them.
I am glad for this, from one Aspie to another.
Remember that Aspie Alex Barton was voted out of kindergarten.
STILL CONTINUED NUMBER 3 BUT READ THE ONE LOWEST TO THIS FIRST. SO ANYWAY MOTHERS BANNED TOGETHER AND DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO FOR UR GOOD KIDS. IF THE PARENTS ARE ONES WHO COULD CARE LESS CALL CPS HAVE THEM CHECKED OUT MABE THEY CAN GET THEM SOME HELP WITH THERE PARENTING . IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD. TALK TO THE BULLY 9 TIMES OUT OF 10 THEY JUST NEED LOVE. WE CANT CHANGE THE WORLD BUT WE CAN MAKE SMALL CHANGES TOGETHER WE HAVE TO TAKE SOME OF OUR SAFE WORLD BACK OUR KIDS DEPEND ON IT. GOD BLESS THE ANGRY KIDS AND GOD BLESS THE PARENTS WHO ARE RAISING THEM
sorry continued. we need to ask our selfs kids learn certain behavior . they are not born with the knowledge of being a bully so they have a parent or a family member that go around attacking people in front of the kids or they talk in front of them about people they don like. or they are just not being a parent and so there kids are finding the wrong kids to befriend. a bully is a child that is bullied at home or is somehow belittled by someone. and decide to take control of there feelings by destroying a meeker childs since they cant fight an adult. these kids cant fight and will never fight the person they are bullying they always have a back up group of the same kind of kids. we encounterd this and i had to have my daughter actually old school it and meet in a field and fight the bully my daughter not a fighter at all beat the heck out of this bully and the bully gave up her title and became nice . it take one good butt kicking and it stops . bullys will continue to bully as long as no one knock them down. i dont blame these kids i blame there family . i blaim there parents for not sitin down and explaining the difference in people i blaim the parents who is to wrapped up in there life to see there angry child . a child has nothng to be angry about. at least they shouldnt. everything starts at home. so as moms of good kids we need to stand together and realize that going to the princaple or the dean will not stop the bully but anger them more. we need to find out were t
first and formost lets really say what needs to be said im a single mom of four wonderful daughters. from early on i taught them to never make fun of people with disabilities. never to follow kids who liked to be mean to kids. and never ever bully anyone. ever . or i would beat them to death if they did any of those things . i explained to them aoubt disabilities and i told them that kids that are mean to others are just kids who have problems somewhere in there life. that usually dont have the love of a parent . and so they take there anger out on someone weaker becus they cant bully there parent or the family who is causing them that anger. I also lead by example. becus we are quick to point the finger at a child. but we
Good job Poway High School students who voted for Kathleen. You did a wonderful thing. Being kind is very easy.
I was in a classroom once that had a poster that said "Stand up for what is right, even if you are standing alone." It touched my heart and strengthened my resolve. Holocasut survivor Eli Wiesel said "There are times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time we fail to protest." These are my mottos. It is not easy to stand up against bullies, against injustice, against prejudice, against intolerence. Yet we must do it, again and again, no matter how difficult. Bless these students and this community for standing up together,
Beautiful story. Out of evil, comes good.
Alright Rachel! Way to go girl!
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