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Subscribe to RSSWhitney Kropp, the teen who was elected to the court as a hurtful prank by classmates, attended the homecoming dance in West Branch, Michigan, wearing a donated dress as her entire town rallied around her. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.
In a red, ruffled dress and flowers in her hair, Whitney Kropp, the Michigan high school student picked by her classmates to be on her school’s homecoming court as a prank, took to her school’s football stadium Friday for the ceremony.
“I had thoughts about not coming, but you know what, I’m glad I changed my mind and actually came out,” Kropp told NBC News.
Kropp's appearance was met with thunderous applause and camera flashes from her fellow students at Ogemaw Heights High School in West Branch, Mich., and even members of the opposing team.
John M. Galloway / AP
Whitney Kropp, third from left, waits for the ceremony to begin at Ogemaw Heights High School's homecoming football game on Friday.
At Kropp’s side was Josh Awrey, the class of 2015’s male representative, the Bay City Times reported.
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After the ceremony, Kropp, who said she had been bullied throughout her time in high school, told reporters that she was glad she decided to remain on the court.
“I’m overwhelmed," Kropp said. "I’m so happy – this is so much right now for me. The school is fantastic they treated me so well."
'Easy target'
Kropp said last month she was initially surprised to learn that her classmates nominated her to be in the running for her school’s homecoming queen. But she said she soon felt humiliated and betrayed when she found out that it was all a joke.
John M. Galloway / AP
Sophomore homecoming representatives Whitney Kropp and Josh Awrey give each other a hug during the homecoming ceremony on the Ogemaw Heights High School football field on Friday.
“People had bullied on me, I guess, for my looks, how I did my hair, how I dress, my height, so I guess they thought, you know, maybe someone that is different is someone that’s an easy target,” Kropp said.
But, Kropp said she pulled through with the support of her mother and the rest of the town.
"You want to protect your kid, and you feel angry and mad at what has happened, but at the same time the outpouring to help her has been beyond expected," Kropp's mother Bernice Kropp said.
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Word spread quickly through the community of about 2,100 residents in West Branch. Resident Jamie Kline started a Facebook support page, gaining more than 4,000 likes in Michigan and nationwide. Personal stories of bullying and messages of encouragement filled the page.
A salon owner in West Branch donated service to cut, color and style Kropp's hair, and other local businesses paid for her dinner, gown, shoes and tiara for the dance.
Sophomore student Whitney Kropp never saw herself as part of the "in" crowd at her high school, so she was surprised to find out she was voted to homecoming court. It turned out to be a prank, but now the community is rallying behind Whitney to show their support for her. NBC's Kevin Tibbles reports.
Before the game, a local company even made T-shirts in support of Kropp in her favorite color, orange, adding to the messages of encouragement that Kropp says helped her prevail.
John M. Galloway / AP
Kristy Erway, Hannah Gebnard, and Paige Sharp of Cadillac High School hang a banner in support of Whitney Kropps in West Branch, Mich., on Friday.
“The kids that are bullying you do not let them bring you down," she said. "Stand up for what you believe in, and go with your heart and go with your gut. That’s what I did and look at me now. I’m just as happy as can be.”
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America has gotten used to the bullying concept we get from the White House everyday - has never been that way before
Wrong venue
You go girl! The joke's on them. You look stunning and I hope they are chewing on their livers in envy.
She has learned and taught a valuable lesson...if the bullies can't get the reaction they want, they will just slink away into their holes. Unfortunately, they will probably target someone even weaker.
My mother taught me this lesson when my older brothers would tease me incessantly and I would go crying to her. She said "they are trying to make you cry" if you just walk away they will stop. I did and they did.
Agreed. Unless someone exposes these bullies, the will continue to do it. And the people who just stand around while its going, and do nothing on are just as much to blame.
Whitney,
Print off all the supportive statements you are receiving on Newsvine and other blogs, etc. and when you start to feel down or are being bullied read through them and know how many people are thinking about you.
At some point you will encounter these bullies again and many of them will apologize to you. Those that won't aren't worth much to begin with. Create a happy life for yourself, and know you are loved by your family and your friends. Also know that you will always be in the hearts of those of us that became part of your story by reading it and responding.
You can tell she's suffered and her problems aren't over with this act of reconciliation.
How strange it is that in the animal kingdom, bullying seems to be well under control.
We humans don't manage it nearly as well. It's a major problem for us both among adults and our children.
Actually, it doesn't work out so well in the animal kingdom. In some species the alpha male gets all of the females or they have to fight for the right. In others, only young produced by the alpha females are allowed to survive.
I guess that this proves that we are little bit closer to our animal cousins than some people think.
it is kind of funny that most of the kids at that high school picked on her and now all of a sudden they cheered for her etc at this ralley??? Talk about fake people geeezzz
I can't wait til the bullies hit the real world. Life is not high school. The bullies will suffer enough themselves when faced with real life issues, such as work (though I doubt they will have the social skills to stay employed), finances, managing a home, the bullied kids will come out on top if they are able to overcome and have a good support system away from school. It's a real shame that some bullied kids take the most extreme measure, I've found that these kids were the ones who were the most loving of people, for the majority. My son included, he was able to overcome the bullying mentally and is shining far brighter academically than the kids that bullied him in middle school, in this, his Sr. year. I'm proud of him.
I am so glad that this bullied girl got the spotlight on her! I hope it made asses of the people who pulled this prank on her. Maybe some shame will do the bullies some good. Good luck Whitney!!!
I may be wrong, but if you look directly behind her, there is a cute blonde not really smiling, and another football player looking as if their evening plans had backfired! I believe these are the faces of bullies.
Whitney, you are a swan. Beautiful.
such a shame that kids can be so unbelievably cruel to each other. It never made any sense to me....even when I was a kid.
I think the majority of kids are good and decent and do have empathy for others, but what they don't have is the strength of character to stand up for someone not in the "in crowd" for fear of being labeled as "not cool" or not a part of the in crowd.
If that silent majority would just stand up, schools and kids in schools would shoot to new heights.
Thank you. Even most of the bullies are not truly bad but they do it because they want to be in the in crowd. Most of the time if you get rid of the leader you stop the bullying.
I'm sorry but she didn't look great, she is not beautiful, and it was an embarrassing time , she won because of pity. It is not a Cinderella story, Cinderella was beautiful. Did she really get bullied or did she just fall for a prank . Have you never had a "kick me" sign stuck to your back, or someone sent you all over the place looking for things that don't exist? Come on, cry me a river. Call it like it is, she didn't win anything, she made it more embarassing.
and your point is? You are no better than the kids who bullied her. Try telling her parents she isn't beautiful. Your opinion of someone's looks means nothing. You are ugly on the inside, where it counts, just like the bullies. Read the article, it states she has been bullied during her time in high school. Go back under your rock.
PBeorgia99....And your opinion of someone's look also means nothing. So when she grows up and marries the Prince or is she not good enough she can tell her children how she was bullied in school and how she showed them how the town donated a dress and hair do and voted her most pitied kid because she fell for a prank.
Still, you miss the whole point of the article. Probably left a bald streak where it went over your head. She wasn't voted most pitied. Where are you getting this? It took courage for her to go along with this prank. It's no use, you're probably one of the kids that did this to her, don't bother with a reply. I get it. I didn't place importance on looks, I didn't voice my opinion on how Whitney looks. You did. This girl by far has more courage in her now than you will ever have and that makes me happy :) have a great day fun hater!
PSP
You must be the little blonde standing behind her. Actually you will probably always be the little blonde standing behind the rest of us...
nothing against blondes, I am one too, just not to the roots. ;)
psp....sadly, you are part of the problem.
This would be more awesome if she had telekintetic powers.
This article is dated. There are now more than 126,000 Likes on Facebook for her support page. Including mine.
This story didn't just start in the media on Friday night. It's a couple to three weeks old.
This is news only because we get stories about everything and anything all the time through the internet and other news media outlets. When I was in high school, lo so many years ago, I was bullied because I was short, skinny and very shy, so an obvious mark for bullies and their unkind remarks. Going to my 30th high school reunion, I'm still short and also still slender, unlike the majority of the girls who bullied me who are overweight if not downright obese. As for the shy part, I outgrew that as I entered the working world and learned that my voice needed to be heard in order to succeed. I hope this girl takes some valuable lessons away from her experience and uses them to her advantage in her future.
And teachers frequently get the blame when they can't teach or control juvenile delinquents such as bullies.
sdk1234 , You are so right. I hope the road ahead is not filled with bumps caused by the tormentors. Some of the tormentors will not like what they have seen and might take revenge on this young lady. I hope the future is very bright for this young lady.
Did anyone else notice she was escorted by law enforcement? Sad.
If only she could have gone "Carrie" on their asses and burned the place down!
I'm wondering what the consequences are for the bullies in this story??? Have they, or will they, receive approporaite punishment? Only when bullies are punished (humiliation comes to mind - stocks anyone??) will there be a shortfall and hopefully cessation of bullying. I suppose I am naive in this matter though. We had an incident right here in Huntsville where a sophomore girl was beaten and stripped of her shirt and bra and shoved out of the girls bathroom into a crowd of students. I do not know what punishment the bullies in this case received, but it is my understanding that they are spending some time in juvie hall. That is a scary place. The parents are filing charges, which I think is good. The beating was severe enough I am told that the charges could be attempted manslaughter. Hard and seemingly over the top, but if it contributes to stopping these cretins, then good.
I suppose it is asking too much to keep childish nonsense in perspective.
This is a great ending to the story & I wish her the best as she puts high school behind her.
Still, some part of me was wishing she could have resolved it the Stephen King way.... (just kidding!)
I just don't understand what happened here. This amazing girl was bullied and humiliated by students at this school, nominated for homecoming court as a prank so that she could be laughed at in front of everyone, and yet at the end of it, the students at the school look like a bunch of stand-up kids full of goodwill that support her. That's just not the reality- those kids were a bunch of jerks and using that kind of mob mentality to humiliate her, that just proves that bullying runs rampant at that school. Obviously Whitney deserves high praise for not letting those bullies win and walking in there with her head held high, showing amazing courage. But let's not put that school up on a pedestal for supporting her- the kids there, the teachers, the administrators- they are the ones who created this situation, ignored the situation, and condoned the situation respectively. They don't deserve an ounce of positive attention. Whitney and the rest of her town- they do.
Everyone should sing Kumbaya and watch revenge of the nerds.
She only got to be homecoming queen because this went public and viral. Not because she's popular, not because she's pretty. Not excusing anyone's behavior at all as what they did was mean, spiteful, and hateful, but I bet the kids in school still don't like her. Everybody puts on a good show when the media attention is focused on them for their bad behavior. Has she tried to be friendly? Is she outgoing or was she the type who always slunk down the hall hugging the walls hoping nobody would notice her?
You were a cheerleader in HS, weren't you?
I'll bet Joan was a Porsche drivin', cheer yellin', quarterback doin', sorority livin' Princess.
It's nice to see that some good came from this little prank. However, it is still clear that a great deal of humanity, kids and teenager in particular, are uncaring and evil. I recall a similar prank occurring to a couple of people back in my high school days...so sad.
Some of you assume that all the school is guilty of the prank. It's like an election where not all votes go to the same person. If, let's say, 100 votes were cast, and 20 went to her, the rest went to other girls. So, at the most, only 20 kids were aholes. The rest were fine and were the ones cheering for her.