Bullied student snubs her principal on stage during graduation — and the crowd erupts in support
Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of bullying.
A student has taken over the internet with her bold move during her graduation ceremony, and fellow victims of bullying are heaving a sigh of relief. TikTok user Sarah Delaney (@sarahdhammond) shared a clip from her baby sister’s graduation where she refused to shake hands with her school principal because of the teacher's response to her issues. The moment has garnered over 50 million views and a mix of reactions from viewers. In the comments, several people applauded the girl, Laura (@theyluvvvlaura), for her bravery and the message she came with.
Delaney filmed her little sister’s milestone as she climbed up the stairs of the hall to collect her graduation certificate. She looked gorgeous in a pretty pink dress and hair adorned with a white bow. As Laura walked towards the principal and teachers waiting to shake hands, the principal held his hand out, but she simply walked past him, and another man lined up next to him. That was not all. She then shook hands with the teachers, mostly women, collected her certificate, and walked off the stage. As per the video, the girl returned the disrespect she had faced when she was constantly bullied by fellow students, while the principal decided to remain silent.
Intentionally causing them to feel embarrassed in front of an audience was her way of letting the school know that she did not appreciate their lack of concern during her hard times. “POV: Your baby sister was bullied all year, and her principals did nothing to help, so she refused to shake their hands at her graduation,” an overlay note on the clip stated. Meanwhile, her proud sister captioned the viral post as, “So proud of you for this bold move! It’s definitely giving rep era!” The post was liked by 5.7 million people and received thousands of comments discussing Laura’s bold move.
The comments were overflowing with cheers and support for the girl who stood up to the enablers of bullying in her school. “The embarrassment they probably felt isn’t even close to what people feel when being bullied. Proud of you, girlie,” wrote @coconell92 while @lynsierra0 noted, “The fit. The walk. The grace. She’s an icon. She’s absolutely stunning. Bullying has to be from jealousy because she has it all going on!” “All the teachers knew I was bullied and never did anything. They always know. You have to protect yourself. They won’t help,” shared @odyssii.
According to a report by the Pew Research Center, about a third of parents in the U.S. are worried about their young children under 18 being bullied in schools at some point. Between 2019 to 2020, classrooms were the most common location for bullying. The American Psychological Association explains bullying as persistent, threatening, and aggressive physical behavior or verbal abuse directed toward other people, especially those who are younger, smaller, or weaker, or in some situation of relative disadvantage.
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