When word of a high school scandal first gets out, there is about a 45 second buffer period before every single person in the town knows what happened.
Let's face it, normal school days grow mundane pretty quickly. So any form of juicy gossip is exciting to talk about for anybody--students, parents, and even teachers.
And while there are usually a few big scandals in a given four-year period that spans a student's entire high school tenure, there's always one that seems to take the cake.
Redditor CreateAGoodDay asked:
"What is the biggest scandal that's ever happened at your school?"
Many Redditors, of course, recalled the sex scandals. Often, it revolved around an adult teacher acting inappropriately.
Gotta Be a Better Way to Teach That
"One of them was a health class that was trying to show how STDs spread - by asking the student body to 'anonymously' submit who they've slept with."
"Went on for a couple days before that got shut down, lol."
-- MeeptheNinja
Immediately Dealt With
"One of the teachers at my secondary school had apparently offered higher grades to students if they sent him nudes. As far as I know, nobody every sent them, and the police quickly got involved."
"He ended up getting fired (obviously), and I think he spent a few months in prison. In any case, he's out now, he moved away, and doesn't work in education anymore."
-- Aspharon
High Tech Perving
"Teaching assistant ran an after-school sports club for a while, the guy was well liked so his club was popular. Then someone discovered his gym bag pointed towards the changing room showers with a camera sticking out."
"His house got raided and the police found a whole library of videos of students from this sports club in the shower. It made the news and he went to prison. He went from being one of the most popular members of staff to the most hated overnight."
And Everyone Knew
"English teacher slept with a senior on the football team. He got a full scholarship to a P5 program and played a few seasons in the NFL as a slot receiver."
Downward Spiral
"Spanish teacher was pregnant but lost the baby in childbirth. When she came back after the birth she had taken a job at another school closer to her husband and other son and left. After she left I found out she had been screwing some of the boys in the class and sending nude Snapchat's and she actually screwed some in her classroom after graduation."
"Everyone knew, even the principals but they couldn't do anything because no one wanted to be the guy that had screwed her but I know a lot of people had seen the Snapchats."
"She's since been removed from her other teaching job for mental health reasons and her husband has left her. Some people speculate if the baby was even his."
Best Excuses For Late Assignments That Were Actually True | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Switched Tapes
"History teacher getting divorced, marrying some random fella from far away, getting high at school and sending nudes to him during the breaks... As we were kinda nosy teenagers we went to her computer while she was away and found them... It wasn't that nice..."
-- ToddaS8
Others recalled moments of violence or threats of violence. When the safety and well-being of teenagers is on the line, you can bet that everyone's ears perk up.
Opportunists
"We had a week long string of bomb threats. The first one was legit, but then students realized it would get them out of school early. After the 5th one, administration threatened to add on the days we missed to the end of the school year if it happened again."
"It didn't happen again."
Just Like the Movies
"In college, a girl in my dorm was the daughter of a mafia guy. One night at the bar, a guy gets into an argument with her boyfriend, takes a swing at him and hits her by accident."
"2 days later her father came to campus with the two biggest human beings I have ever seen in person. They went over to the kids dorm, pushed their way into the building and where trying to kick in the door of his room when campus security and the police arrived and got them out. The kid left school that night and never came back."
Ripple Effect
"A student got sassy with a teacher about a grade and the teacher kicked him out of the room. The student grabbed a pencil and stabbed the assistant teacher in the room. Just in the hand, but still."
"So the teacher goes rage mode and physically marches the student down to the deans office. Everyone is initially furious at the student, he'll be expelled for sure. Assistant teacher is shaken but fine."
"Daddy was a big donor to the school and the kid was on the state championship bound basketball team. Daddy argued with the school, who reverses the expulsion and instead fires the teacher for 'laying hands on a student.' "
"There were walk outs, several other teachers quit, the local news picked it up, the whole nine yards. Nothing changed. The school kept the little ahole to keep Daddy happy and fired a very, very good teacher."
-- SalemScout
The Ultimate Sacrifice
"This kid had a fake toy grenade and threw it in a classroom. The teacher dove on top of it and began to yell out to the students to go now. That kid got into sooo much trouble and had to transfer to a school out of state since nobody wanted him."
"I have no idea what happened to him but I know that he was hit with absolute crazy charges. Rumors began to spread that he was being sent to prison for insane amount of years."
-- fallin1ne
Peace and Quiet
"In college we had a reported active bomber/shooter situation. Someone called the police and told them he had students held hostage in a library study room and had a bomb in another location."
"After HOURS of standoff, SWAT arriving, news crews, people being located and ID'd, they identified the student."
"Turns out he was in an entirely different building working on a huge project with my roommate and two other students from about 3pm to 11pm. They were working with highly sensitive equipment so none of them had their phones on them."
"The kid left the project to use the restroom around 5:30 and called the cops, then came back and worked on the project for 5 more hours without dropping a hint to his teammates."
Double Life
"Had a cool english teacher, allegedly an american, which just did not show up one day or the next, he was an external teacher for multiple schools. After asking around a bit, we found out he was not an american, but originally german which spent most of his life in the USA, slowly building his way to be the top dog of one biker gang..."
"...which ran pretty much everything from dope, weapons trafficking, murders, anything. He actually did not show up because the cops came to arrest him to another school, as he was wanted in Austria for kidnapping and attempted murder."
-- Jacoobic
Panicked Tragedy
"A student was pregnant, hid the pregnancy from her parents, had the baby at home while her parents were at work, and the baby died. Then a lengthy court case followed because they were never able to determine if she killed the baby or the baby died of natural causes."
"They were a pretty prominent family in the area too. It was quite a spectacle. It came out that she had had several abortions prior, and her uncle got in trouble for threatening the judge. Oh and did I mention we were a Catholic school?"
"She went to prison. Not sure what happened to her after that."
And of course, there was horrifying bathroom behavior to consider.
An Infamous Title
"Someone was writing messages in human feces all over the walls of the men's bathrooms. They were dubbed 'The Fecal Terrorist.' It went on for a surprisingly long time before the culprits were caught."
"Turns out the reason it took so long was because it was actually two guys, and they would alternate committing acts of fecal terrorism while the other one had a solid alibi."
-- ElToberino
This Time, Self-Titled
"There was a period in high school where a kid was writing 'I'm the chocolate sailor.' In poop on the bathroom wall. Then it stopped for a month or two but the next note read 'return of the chocolate sailor' I don't think the culprit was ever caught. But it was an odd thing ill never forget."
-- nkwonown
Just when you thought your school was weird or uncomfortable, here's a list to remind us that there's weird people with poor judgment everywhere you go.
Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Whether we like it or not, the fact that each and every one of us will expire one day and go off into whatever the next phase of existence is is a harsh reality.
So we might as well make the most of the time we have while we're here and leave our mark.
What kind of legacy would you want to leave for the succeeding generations?
Curious to hear from strangers online about how they want to be remembered posthumously, Redditor D_And_R_Gaming asked:
"What do you want written on your tombstone?"
There is still humor in death.
Misunderstanding
"I asked to be cremated what the hell"
–Aksjer
"I was going to say 'Bacon Cheeseburger' but then realized that’s Jack’s, not Tombstone."
– ImAF'kinLiar
Life Is A Crapshoot
"I've made many dumb decisions in my life, and only one of them got me killed."
– kinda_fruity_ngl
"Russian roulette without the roulette."
– Aquahert
People got creative.
Keeping Score
"A Steam review of Life:"
"309,936 hours played 'It's OK.' 👎 Does NOT Recommend "
<em>– Anti</em><span></span><em>Theory</em>
-Reddit
Old School
"(My Name)"
"1964 - 2137"
– TrailerParkPrepper
"My spidey senses tell me you are from Poland."
– itstoolatebro
Careful What You Wish For
"Slightly off topic….but I saw a picture of a headstone once that had a cookie recipe on the back of it. The poster said that while grandma was alive, they’d ask her for her famous cookie recipe and she’d say, 'over my dead body'. So, when she died, they found the recipe and put it where she always said - over her dead body."
"I don’t care if it’s true or not; that’s savage and I’m here for it!"
– Fluffy_Momma_C
There seems to be no limit to what you can have on your epitaph.
We Have Options
"GAME OVER
[ ] Continue
[X] Save & Quit"
– theyusedthelamppost
"GAME OVER
[ ] Continue
[ ] Save & Quit
[X] Quit
I don't have to be saved"– Mor_Hjordis
Spirit Rises
"My body lies but still I roam."
– twistedsister78
"Roamer, Wanderer, Nomad, Vagabond, Call me what you will"
– cooperkfb8
Message To Mortals
"GET OFF MY DAMN GRAVE!!"
– LucyVialli
"In really small writing... 'you're standing on my balls'"
– reiveroftheborder
Only The Strong Survive
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”
– parataxis
"Evidently you didn't get stronger."
– 69420memes
How Bewitching
"A short melody in sheet music carved into the stone that causes bad weather and time travel paradoxes when repeated."
– MrLuxarina
A Lasting Impression
"I dunno but when I was a kid I came across the tombstone of a world war 2 vet. And on the tombstone was his picture. He has very long canine teethe like a vampire, on the stone was a poem that read"
“'Beware kind friend as you pass by. As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, you soon will be. Prepare for death and follow me.' It’s just something I’ve never forgotten."
– Ok-Hovercraft2713
I remember being amused as a kid waiting in line to ride Disneyland's iconic Haunted Mansion attraction.
Up on a hillside adjacent to the Antebellum-style manse were a series of headstones with darkly humorous epitaphs.
One that particularly drew my attention was one that read:
"Here lies good old Fred. A great big rock fell on his head. R.I.P."
At the time, I really did think gravestones explained how the deceased perished, and that this one was intentionally funny.
Can you imagine?
People Confess Which Articles Of Clothing And Accessories Make Someone Instantly Unattractive
Legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel once famously quipped, "before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory."
Indeed, sometimes it is truly remarkable how one item, be it a wrap, a hat or a brooch, can ruin the whole effect of an outfit.
In some extreme cases, it might also result in making someone's physical appearance seem worse than it is, by inadvertently emphasizing one of their less flattering features.
Then too, there are various accessories or types of clothing which simply never look good on anyone, under any circumstances.
"What is a piece of clothing or an accessory that makes a person immediately unattractive?"
In Case You Needed Reminding...
"Any shirt that has a long statement about how the person wants to be viewed."
"'I'M A BEER DRINKING, HARD WORKING, GUN OWNING REAL MAN WHO EATS MEAT AND NEVER MAKES EXCUSES OR TAKES SHORTCUTS IN LIFE'."
"'IF YOU'RE TRIGGERED, TAKE A NUMBER. I'LL GET TO YOU IN ABOUT A YEAR'."- Delica
"I'll bet Gas Station Kino shirts, with the angry flaming skeletons pointing two guns at you, declaring I'M A FORKLIFT OPERATOR WE WORK HARD AND WE PLAY HARD."- MontrealChickenSpice
"Any of that aggressive STOMP MY FLAG ILL STOMP YOUR A** sh*t."
"Makes me feel like they’re just stupid and angry, a dangerous combination."- neermif
bart simpson episode 22 GIFGiphyA Sight No One Needs To See
"Pants worn below buttocks."- anonnautilus
"Pants that are their size they just don't hold them up with a belt and show their whole underwear, or shrugs."- Jaceie
Million Dollar Smiles Shouldn't Be Taken Literally...
"Teeth Grills"
"They look f*ckin ridiculous."- DavosLostFingers
old lady smile GIFGiphyCan They Even See Through Them?
"Eyelashes that are too obviously fake."- LawInevitable2213
No One Really Wants To Be Compared To A Vegetable...
"The thing I find most disgusting currently is the broccoli haircut."
"Looks so bad."- Guilty-Ad-2762
Well Worn, But Not In A Good Way...
"Those God-awful jeans dudes wear with the random ribbed patches on the thighs."
"You know the ones."
"ABOLISH THEM!"- muffinbaby000
No Matter The Interpreter...
"Anything with the joker on it."
"Double that if there is an edgy quote on it as well."- Maleficent-Elk-3298
Bigger Is Not Always Better...
"Giant, long fake fingernails."
"And dinner plates in the earlobes."- sam_the_beagle
"I Am A Material Girl"...
"I'm not a fan of clout-chasing branded clothing."
"It screams materialistic consumerism and that is not cute to me."- coddiwomplecactus
Dude, Where's The Boat?
"The preppy frat man/boy style."
"Salmon shorts, a pastel vineyard vines button-down, and Sperry’s."
"Sorry but it makes some people look like overgrown toddlers at Easter mass."- Mirrorflute88
Unless You're Diana Ross, Maybe...
"Anything with the word Supreme on it."- ILLogicaL_FALLacies
It Must Complicate Eating...
"The older I get, the sillier tongue piercings seem to me."- deltree3030
Sexy Temptation Island GIF by RTLGiphyNeedless to say, one's taste in clothing is a personal decision.
But as the saying goes, true beauty comes from within, and those who make a determined effort to improve their appearance, often end up doing just the opposite.
I've embraced the single life.
It's been a decade, so I really had no other choice.
And I can tell you there are plenty of pros to the situation.
When we're single, it seems like we're addicted to focusing on the cons.
But if you start by appreciating yourself more, the pros list grows.
Not watching rom-coms is a big one for me.
And, of course, having a plethora of pins and voodoo dolls of your loved ones and their partners.
I kid. A little.
Redditor thunderchild10 wanted everyone to count all the ways not having a life partner is great, so they asked:
"What's the best thing about being single?"
Money!
That's my favorite part.
I just spend it on me!
Peace Out
Sneaking Out Betty Cooper GIF by Lili ReinhartGiphy"You can leave family functions on your own terms."
bruteski226
"I’m a huge advocate of the Irish exit. Why do you need to say goodbye to everyone if you know you’re going to see them again in a few days."
Aeokikit
No Food Sharing
"I can eat whatever I want for dinner. I don't have to consider anyone else's opinions. I can plan out whatever I want."
lady_laughs_too_much
"Legit one of my concerns. I have what I call a peasant’s palate… I like simple meals, and I will easily eat the same thing over and over again. I made a chicken and broccoli casserole thing on the weekend and ate that for four days in a row. Sometimes I have chips for dinner. I’m happy with my weird menu, and I’m not looking forward to accommodating someone else."
ReadySetTurtle
Ah, yes... silence
"Peace and quiet."
Earnastus
"This is the big one for me. I spend all day listening to people talk, often distressed. So it's nice to come home to quiet. No more talk. Just the ambient sound of my local neighborhood, markedly muffled by double-glazed windows and soundproofed walls."
"The occasional quiet grunt from my dog. The quiet whirl of the refrigerator motor. My own thought as to why it's spelled refrigerator, but when we shorten it, we put a d in there, and make it fridge. The sound of me typing these thoughts on the keyboard in front of me. The quiet eeeeeeeeeeeee of my tinnitus backed all of it. Ah, yes... silence."
OzzieBloke777
So much space...
"Of all the perks I think the best one has to be getting the bed all to myself."
Salsa1212
"My partner and I sleep in different beds and I would 100% recommend if you have the space. Started out when we were working different shifts, stayed because we both had AMAZING sleeps."
TheFalseLion
"Can confirm. Haven't had the bed to myself in 7 years. Have upgraded to sharing with the partner AND toddler now. King-sized bed never seemed so small."
Friendly_Grocery2890
Everything!
Happy Well Done GIF by Top TalentGiphy"Loads of things. Mostly around being able to act exclusively for your own betterment without having to consider anyone else."
monkeybawz
The list just gets longer and better.
Just Me
free freedom GIFGiphy"That you can do whatever TF you want without having to answer to anyone."
CapG_13
Anxiety Free
"Not living in fear that my relationship will fall apart."
"God bless anyone who is going through this. It sucks really hard when you try to make things work but you just don't get enough assurance from your partner."
MaybeNot_MaybeYes
"After a few years of marriage, I actively did everything to make my relationship with my ex fall apart. Granted he was abusive and I was terrified that he would kill me for asking for a divorce because he frequently told me that he would, so I just made his life as uncomfortable as possible until he was the one who asked for a divorce."
TwirlyShirley8
Calm Entrance
"Knowing exactly what to expect when you come home and open the front door."
P4S5B60
"Holy s**t, this resonates. I'm recently divorced and I can't explain how much anxiety I had when coming home and opening the door. The even keel of the emotional landscape now is pure bliss."
boltershmoo
"Saaaaame. That moment I would hear the garage door open when my former partner was getting home: most anxiety-inducing moment/sound. I would go into panic mode: hell did I clean enough/do enough/be productive enough so that I don’t catch some shi**y attitude from the partner."
kusava-kink
Focus
"Not being a slave to someone else’s emotional state."
90sTVGuru
"Deada**, this is the first time I’ve been able to focus on my emotional state in forever! My mental health has never been better. And I was even able to wean completely off of SSRIs. My ex was quite literally one of the biggest triggers of my anxiety and depression."
jets3tter094
"As someone who is recently single, this is a big one. Sometimes I felt like my partner's emotional state was too chaotic for me and I was a sponge to it. Not being a slave to it anymore has made my anxiety calm down a lot."
chubberbubbers
You First
Look At Me Reaction GIF by WWEGiphy"You get to put yourself first. Take care of yourself. You're your own biggest fan, and the only one you've got. 100% learn to love yourself."
happier_days
Well sounds like some of us should embrace being alone.
Apparently, it ain't all that bad.
Do you have anything to add? Let us know in the comments below.
Too many of us were told to grow up or that it would be wrong to continue to enjoy the things that made our childhoods worth remembering.
But now as adults, some have figured out that there's nothing wrong with enjoying a nice bowl of sugary cereal while watching those Saturday morning cartoons. Quite frankly, it feeds the soul.
Redditor iStoleurvalor asked:
"What is 'for kids' that you continue to thoroughly enjoy as an adult?"
Outdoor Playtime
"Playgrounds in general. Since becoming a dad, I can bring my kids to the playground and have fun with them on the slides, swings, monkey bars; most things."
"I wish there were public/free adult-sized playgrounds. It'd probably encourage us to get out a lot more. It feels like everything geared for adults nowadays charges admission, and it's not cheap."
- densetsu23
The All-Fours Climb
"Going up the stairs on all fours will always be fun."
- Curious-Kaylee
"I’m a huge advocate for climbing stairs on all fours, but I’m now imagining how horrifying it would be to see that in a public setting, lol (laughing out loud)."
- metallic_buttcheeks
"'LOOK OUT, KIDS! SHE'S COMING!'"
"*kids screaming*"
- KeepCalmSayRightOn
"I need to try this. But the only steps I regularly take are at work, lol (laughing out loud)."
- tittilizing
"I race up the stairs at work on all fours to assert dominance."
- JoshPlaysUltimate
Animated Movies as an Art Form
"Animated movies in general. I can still enjoy them. When I've had a rough day or if I'm just feeling down, I can put on something wholesome, funny, or nostalgic and it makes me feel better."
- catching_signals
"'Emperor's New Groove' is my favorite feel-good movie."
- Compulsive-Gremlin
Sticker Collections
"STICKERSSSSS."
- ObviouslyKatie
"F**K YES."
"Never enough stickers. I had a s**tty childhood (like most of us) but stickers always made me happy, especially the fuzzy ones. Suddenly understanding why I'm still bonkers for stickers."
- limeporcupine
Gotta Catch 'Em All
"Pokemon. Started with Red when I was five and haven't stopped since. Doubt I ever will. If anything, my enjoyment of Pokemon is becoming more childlike."
- The_Prezzy
In Cracker Form
"Goldfish. It's hard to resist when my niece is having them for a snack. I make a big show about me being a shark and eating them just so I can have some."
- Drew-
"I really thought you meant actual fish at first..."
Travelerofhighland86
"Fish are friends, not food."
- Phoneking13
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
"Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Of course, it isn't solely for kids, as he made each episode with a mind towards parents watching them with their children, but he's so wholesome and kind, so deliberate and thoughtful with everything that he put on the show."
- Puddnhead_Wilson
"I’d never watched it before and my husband wanted to watch the Tom Hanks movie. But he wanted me to see the real Mister Rogers first. So there we sat, two adults over 30, watching episodes of Mister Rogers. And I loved it!"
- Ankylowright
Favorite Stuffies
"I remember a Reddit post from several years ago where this guy who was in the army or Marines or whatever gushed about his plush Magicarp. He even sent a picture of the Magicarp next to an automatic rifle."
- Mind101
"I'm almost 40 and not ashamed to say I still have my teddy bear, Wally, my mom made when I was two. His arms are lopsided, his ears are wonky, and he is made from upholstery fabric from a 70s couch cushion, but I love that dude."
"I did eight years in two branches of the Marines and Army and did three deployments, and you bet Wally was with me. Either stuffed in a pack or seabag, but he was there because I needed him."
- Jaymakk13
Gotta Love Disney
"Disney animated movies."
"I am a big, mean-looking 40-year-old man. I drove to work listening to the soundtrack to 'Moana.'"
- mkicon
"Second big, mean-looking 40-year-old man here. I may or may not have sobbed on my way to work while kind of singing the soundtrack to 'Encanto' this morning through my tears."
"I'm with you, bro."
- SHABDICE
Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea?
"Not me, but my 55-year-old dad still loves SpongeBob. He'll wake up on a Saturday morning and have his juice and breakfast while watching Spongebob."
- Hwetapple
"Dude, same. Almost every time I go over there, he's always watching SpongeBob. He recently found out he gets Boomerang on his Roku, so he's just been watching 'Tom & Jerry' and 'Loony Toons.'"
"I also love those cartoons so I'm definitely not talking s**t."
- Theren_Alister_XIII
Chocolate Milk, For Sure
"Chocolate Milk."
- Toy_Guy_in_MO
"Who says chocolate milk is only for kids?"
- transformers03
"Ice cold chocolate milk is amazing."
- SigridBaginnses
Skipping Down the Sidewalk
"Skipping. If you haven't skipped in a while, do it. You'll realize how much faster it is than walking, and how much more ground you cover."
- trx0x
Coloring
"Coloring."
"Not with craft paper and high-end pencils adult coloring, either."
"Nope. With a 'Moana' coloring book and the 64-count Crayola box."
- TheSquishyPaleDuke
They'll Never Go Out of Style
"I cannot stop making summer camp-style knotted friendship bracelets out of embroidery floss."
"It keeps my hands busy while I'm working/watching TV/traveling and I don't get sucked into my phone."
"Now I just leave piles of bracelets everywhere."
- andtheIToldYouSos
Breakfast of Champions
"Breakfast cereals... all of the fruity, sugar-filled candy-like cereals. It is totally my weekend treat. Nothing during the week."
"Fruity pebbles (Dino bites now. Post changed the recipe a while back) is totally my jam. Who doesn't like destroying the roof of their mouth on some Cap'n crunch?"
- hammerraptor
These are great reminders of some of the good things we had in our childhood, but it's an even more important lesson that there's no harm in doing something for our inner child every once in a while, maybe even every day.