Every school has their traditions, but some administrators take them more seriously than others.

One transfer student felt constantly villainized at their new school, and an exorbitant bill for their cap and gown was their final straw.

In a final act of petty revenge, they decided to break the school’s record by not walking in their own graduation, sending their pompous principal into a frenzy.

You’ll want to read on for this one.

Ruining a School Record

Just before my senior year of high school, my father moved me to Louisiana.

There, I had an encounter with the principal, who wouldn’t take one of my credits from my old school because their classes were different.

He also accused me of lying about getting a water from the vending machine, which was for a teacher and wasn’t breaking any school rules.

This student hated their new school and couldn’t wait to get out, until they saw the price tag on the graduation ceremony.

Late in the school year, I was really not liking this school much, due to previous encounters, missing all my friends, disliking humidity, and many more reasons.

I found out for graduation they charged $240 for cap and gown, and to walk at graduation.

The student didn’t even feel like they were getting a good deal, all things considered.

My dad offered to pay, but it seemed terribly expensive and I didn’t want to do it on principle.

This was in 2001, to put that in perspective.

Also, no outside pictures.

You had to buy their pictures for $40, which they would snap if you paid.

This is before cell phones with cameras were common, in the dinosaur days.

So, I decided not to pay, and not to go.

This decision sparked the attention of the principal.

Later that month (April), I get called to the principal’s office.

I am 1 of 10 kids called, and we already don’t like each other from past instances.

He tells us it’s because we haven’t paid for graduation.

I was one of the last kids in the line of seniors he was talking to.

Everyone else either had the check and just hadn’t turned it in, or were getting the money because their family was low income.

The student makes their intentions clear again, but the principal is determined to not allow it.

When the principal gets to me, I tell him I am not going and I don’t intend to pay.

His response was to say that I had to go.

I again told him I wasn’t paying and it was crazy expensive.

In his eyes, not walking was pretty much unheard of.

He tells me that no kid has ever not walked for graduation in his school.

It’s a school record.

I don’t know if it was true, but I believe it because it was something kids were proud of in this town.

Not me, since I disliked him and the school.

The student tries to barter, but with no success, they hold their ground as the other students cower.

I tell him I will walk if he gives me the cap and gown for free.

He says he’s not going to do that because then other kids would want it.

Well, I’m not going then, and he can’t make me give him the money, so stalemate.

The other students are mortified because everyone is afraid of this jerk.

This student doesn’t care about this school anyway and they got a much better education elsewhere.

I have straight As because the classes are so easy in this school and most are reteaching stuff I learned 10th and 11th grade in California.

So, I get kicked out of his office.

They enlist the help of their father, who luckily was on board with their plan.

The principal called my father about this, and I told my dad he could just say since I didn’t go to the school for all three years (10-12 in this school) and my credits aren’t all valid.

I guess I am not a real student, so it won’t ruin their record.

Finally, they succeed and the principal is forced to eat their words.

My dad is kind of petty too, so he said something like that.

No one else called us again about it.

Graduation comes and goes without me there.

The petty revenge comes in when they have to mail me my diploma because I didn’t go.

Which I made them do and called the school till I got it.

According to the principal, it was first time they ever had to do that.

Kiss your “perfect record” goodbye, jerk!

What did Reddit think?

This principal doesn’t exactly scream “great leader”.

This commenter wonders what kind of legacy this illustrious student left behind.

This redditor did the math, and the cost today is just mind boggling.

This user wonders if the principal was getting a cut of the profits.

Their absence at the ceremony may have felt like a small act of defiance, but the principal learned a valuable lesson in not pushing a smart student too far.

This student was determined to walk their own path, and it wasn’t across the graduation stage.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.