Kid Who Defended Blind Classmate From Bully Kicked Off The Football Team
Daily Mail - A California teenager who rushed to help a blind classmate being beaten up by a bully has been kicked off the football team. The high school junior was hailed as a hero for intervening after he saw the ‘visually impaired’ student being repeatedly hit round the head during lunch break at Huntington Beach High School, California on Wednesday. Footage, filmed by a bystander, shows the teen knocking the bully to the ground with a single punch to stop the attack. No arrest is expected for the intervening teen who has been praised by his peers and online for standing up for his classmate. But his school took a different approach and are believed to have kicked the have-a-go-hero off the football team after he breached their ‘zero-tolerance’ policy on violence. A petition to get him reinstated on the team has now been launched online, which stands by the high school student’s actions. The campaign’s website states: ‘We believe (the teenager) should be back on his football team and back in school where he belongs. While violence is never the best option what Cody did to defend his friend and classmate was justified. ‘And schools ‘zero-tolerance’ policies out even the person saving disabled friends.’ The petition has now had more than 1,000 responses with many criticizing Huntington Beach High School’s decision. Jeff Smith wrote: ‘Great job! Our future is in good hands because of young men such as yourself, Don’t sacrifice your morals for something as petty as football. If they don’t allow you back on the team it will be their loss. Leaders continue to lead even when nobody is looking.’ Another commenter said: ‘The hero did the right thing. Don’t punish a kid for doing the right thing!!!!’ Mike Hallen said: ‘The day you punish people who protect the helpless is the day you’ve lost humanity. Don’t be STUPID!’
Well thats a tough, tough sell from the school. I understand rules are rules. And putting a kid to sleep on camera and yelling “I WILL FUCK YOU UP” is never a good look. AND I dont think this blind kid is as disabled as the world is making him out to be. But all that being said a kid stands up for his classmate who’s helpless and getting beaten up and you kick him off the football team? Thats as backwards as it gets. If there’s any sport that teaches you to stand up for the guy next to you, its football. The very essence of football is using physical force to protect the teammate next to you. Kinda hypocritical to turn around and suspend a kid for doing that off the field. I’m not trying to compare blocking a defender to cold cocking some kid on the playground, but you get my point. This kid was doing the right thing. I guess the whole idea behind “zero tolerance” is that there is no exceptions but the bully fucking with a blind kid needs to be the first amendment to this policy.