LIVINGSTON, Mont. (AP) – A high school principal received a six-day suspension and a letter of reprimand for giving one of his students a wedgie.
Eric Messerli pulled a Park High School senior’s soccer jersey over his head and yanked upward on the waistband of the boy’s underwear at a soccer game Oct. 5. Other school officials said he was joking around with the student and did it playfully.
He was suspended for two days without pay and four days with pay before the school board decided Monday to let him return. He tearfully told the board: “I’ve made mistakes in my life, but none have had the impact that this one has had.”
Messerli, who was back on the job Tuesday, will be required to talk with students and staff members about the incident to restore respect and authority.
He said his first reaction was to resign, but he decided to “tackle this mess” head on.
“I want to live in a world where we don’t have to hide when we screw up,” he said.
AP-ES-10-25-06 1515EDT
Copy the Story Link
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.