Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Teenager Banned From Graduation for Listing High School For Sale on Craigslist. A Real Story



I always do admire a good prank. I had a friend who was mad at his older brother. He did not physically challenge his brother, as his older brother took too much pleasure in beating him up. My friend did get even. He secretly recorded his brother who thought he was alone and singing an idiotic song about his girlfriend. My friend mislabeled the cassette recording of his brother's song as music his brother liked to hear. When the girlfriend came over, the older brother unknowingly put on the cassette of his singing a silly song about his girlfriend. Before it started playing, the older brother sat down by his girlfriend, and the song started playing throughout the house and even some speakers my friend had outside the house. It became part of family legend. During college, a person I know place women's underwear on the statue of an opposing teams cowboy statute who as the university's mascot. It was pretty funny. Pranks are supposed to be funny and not taken seriously. There are funny pranks that happen and some people just don't see the humor. One guy couldn't go to his graduation ceremony because he tried to sell his high school on Craigslist. I think it's a bit funny, but I'm not a school official. Hey, think of how funny it would be to try and sell one of those school officials on Craigslist?

Below are excerpts from the story with my valuable insights in italics.


On Friday, a judge heard from attorneys from the ACLU and Independence schools to rule on an emergency injunction request that would have allowed Scheele to walk at graduation, Clark said. The judge ruled in the district’s favor.
As a joke, Scheele, 18, listed Truman High for sale on Craigslist at the bargain basement price of $12,725.

I can't imagine pulling a high school prank and getting the ACLU involved and having to deal with injunctions and all of it because someone can't recognize a joke. What was the harm? Were they afraid someone would actually purchase the school for the Craigslist asking price? Would things have been different if he asked for a few million and got a few responses? I could see telling him how that was completely inappropriate behavior. I'm sure being forced to listen to the monotone lecture by a school administrator would have been enough punishment. In school, I once got such a lecture by a monotoned school administrator, and I surrendered. I started looking for a white flag. Keeping him from participating in graduation is a bit extreme. It's not like he put one of the school administrator's cars or house up for sale on Craigslist. I hate to say it, but I would find that funny.


It was Scheele’s choice of words that got him in trouble. His post also said, “The reason for the sale is due to the loss of students coming up.” The “loss” referred to the students who would be graduating.

But district officials said that in a climate of frequent school shootings, they and some parents perceived the post as a threat. It was a parent who told Independence police he was looking at used baseball equipment when a picture of Truman High School for sale popped up.

Who are these idiot parents? Are they the same as the school official idiots? I say idiot because there is no other way to describe individuals who connect a high school being offered for sale on Craigslist with a school shooting. That's like saying I feel threatened by people who drive by my house because there have been drive-by shootings. I think a little perspective here would have gone a long way. His choice of words? Are these people familiar with the term irrational paranoia? If I saw someone offered the high school for sale on Craigslist when my child was a student there, I would have laughed. I hope I'm not setting myself up for a monotone lecture punishment from a school official at the next school board meeting.


The advertisement created a substantial and material disruption of the educational environment, and the Independence School District stands by its decision,” the district said in a statement. “The clear substantial and material disruption served as the basis for the suspension. We take student safety very seriously and appreciate the students and parents who brought these incidents to our attention. “

I believe the overreaction by the school district caused some disruption to the educational environment. Going to court, getting injunctions, the ACLU involved are not your standard school educational experiences. Do these people actually believe if you play a prank by putting the high school up for sale on Craigslist, it is a threat to student safety? If I were a parent in that district I would be worried. These school administrators don't seem to be able to tell the difference between someone who has bad gas and poison gas. I could see them call in the local Hazmat team on Taco Tuesday at the school cafeteria.


On Thursday, the ACLU sent a letter to Independence Superintendent Dale Herl urging the district to reconsider its decision...the letter called the district’s interpretation of Scheele’s senior prank “unreasonable.”

But Friday the district declined to change its decision, despite the urging of Scheele’s family.

The story has a bit of a sad ending. Kylan Scheele didn't get to participate in his high school graduation. He did get to be on the Pat Tomasulo's Man of the People show. Unlike the other people who graduated at his high school, Kylan got to wear his cap and gown and walk through a cheering studio audience. He was then on television where people got to hear his story. Kaylan Scheele won the hearts of many of us pranksters but paid a big price. Now that he's no longer part of the school, I wonder if he'll be tempted to put more fun stuff up for sale on Craigslist. I found him an inspiration. If you see my wife's high school picture albums on Craigslist, I know nothing about it.

Below is a link to the story.

Here is a video of Kylan Scheele graduation on Pat Tomasulo's Man of the People Show.



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