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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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Leave a Comment:
I was picked homecoming princess.....gasp...wait a minute!
With a lot of support and a huge amount of courage, this girl KICKED SOME ASS!! Glad to see she went through with the ceremony and I hope those kids who thought this would be a funny prank, get what they deserve.
Whitney, you're truly awesome and a real princess of class, dignity and an inspiration for almost everyone who is and/or had ever gone through high school !!!....Don't ever change ! And, those who pulled this prank should all be expelled from school for 1yr !
here's another case of the bullied old lady in the bus. but this time it is a teenager who went directly to the media with her tale of woe. first of all who among us hasn't been bullied at one time or other?. heck even mitt romney bullied the 47%. the old lady on the bus got $700,000, how much does this teenager want? or is five minutes of fame enough? and why are individuals going directly to the media instead of handling their bullying situations directly with the school? have we become a nation of media wimps? on the out side our nation is the strongest country on earth but on the inside we feel we're always being picked on?
1) she, Whitney, didn't go to the media and 2) they did go to the school officials and, if I remember correctly, were basically told kids will be kids. So to think we have become "media wimps" is an assumption that many will probably deny. The sad part is a lot of times the "bullies" are the popular kids who are on various sports teams in the school and those in charge cater to them, so they can't win the next game or the state championship.
Does it matter? It made the bullies look small and inconsequential, so it was a great deal for all concerned.
Wits-End salon cropped Whitney Kropps hair. Much better when it was long and blonde.
Glad for her. Sad for her classmates. I don't know what kind of society we live in or have much hope for when high school students would do this to a fellow student. Great reflection on her. Terrible one of those involved. I have noticed that those who spend their time complaining about the media don't deny the stories, they just resent the fact that they are reported. It is the same as I don't deny it, I resent it or my questions are tougher than the other guys or my story wasn't presented correctly. Give me a break. We don't accept that from children. I don't ever remember being bullied and don't remember ever bullying anyone. I have done a lot of things I am not proud of but have always hoped I had more class than that.
A worthless story about an irrelevant situation. This chick made herself a victim and NBC is perpetuating her victimhood. The chickification of the news makes this disgusting. Oh, boo hoo. She was a victim! And now just because for once in her life she has stuck up for herself and grown a set, she is to be applauded? Oh, good grief! Next week she'll probably be on a DNC commercial for the Messiah Obama complaining she was denied free contraceptives because she was voted homecoming queen by mean white male students.
All some people need is a little boost, but I don't think you're the one to be giving a boost. What's wrong with YOU? Maybe you'ld feel differently if you had a child and they came home EVERYDAY depressed and hurt. Sounds great, huh? @!$%#in dick!
Laser69....What is wrong with you? Maybe this story hit a raw nerve with your bullying nature.
If I had a child that came home EVERY DAY depressed and hurt I'd try to be finding out what's going on. WHY is my child being picked on? Her looks? Her attitude? Her smart mouth? Body odor? Exceptionally low grades because she's a.) has a learning disability or b.) she's not applying herself? I'd be finding out exactly why my child in being treated like this and not just complain to the school district she's being bullied.
Joan, were a cheerlearder in High School? I hope you don't have children that you get to bully about what is wrong with them instead of what is wrong with the person bullying them.
Nope.
Stop and look and find the beauty in anyone. We have so much to learn and so little time, don't waste it on what someone else tells you. YOU find it.
Way to go Whitney!
Didn't she just look wonderful...her warm heart just glowin' for the world to see!
I looked at her in the video. First of all, she is tall and beautiful. She has a neck like Audry Hepburn and good bones as they say. I think that maybe there are those who are "J" because she got picked, probably because she is a nice person and they didn't. She is just not in the in crowd.
I like the way her new hair color matched her dress. She lookes great! Some peoples sense of humor about what might be funny as opposed to something being hurtful is really twisted. The people who did this really need dicipline and some help. They are the sick ones and should be totally ashamed of themselves. I'm sure this won't be the first or last trouble that they will be in. I love the way this woman fought back. Young people can be so cruel but she came out on top. The other kids are just lowlife loosers.
Great story!
Great ending!
Once again bullies are shown to be the REAL LOSERS!!!!
Let's continue to rally behind, and support the bullied.
Maybe then the bullies will crawl back under a rock.
Good for her to be able to rise to the adversity of this moment and learn about her inner strength. I do however, agree with some of the folks here wondering why this is a news story. Bullying is terrible and shouldn't be tolerated although at the same time does this need to be national news?
When global events such as the currency/debt crisis in America/Europe or civil wars in the Middle East going on do we need to hear about how this one person stood up to their persecutors? Also does this address the bigger issue of bullying or is this about shining a spotlight on someone that had a hard time? Haven't we all had hard times in our lives at some point...should we all be given national coverage for that?
Adversity is life; nothing worth having comes easy at least that's been my experience. I feel we go overboard when someone achieves what we have all done. Next thing you know we'll have national coverage for babies learning how to walk. After all the little babies fought off that bully of gravity to stand up and we should all come together to marvel at such a thing.....
I'm sure because I didn't go completely lock step with the majority here I'll be shouted into submission (oddly like the bullies you rail against) but such is life.
it is possible for more than one news story at a time to exist. lighten up.
Kudos to you Whitney, You look great, be true to yourself and what is right, never worry about what others say or think especially if they can't say it to your face!
What a classy town....happy to see they were able to repair their reputation by yanking it away from the few pathetic little maggots that pulled this stunt, and showing us what every town should be like. Now, if we can start obliterating the worthless gang punks, we will all be better off....but thats another story that cant be fixed until nasty hoodrats stop spitting out babies and raising the scum that we build prisons for. Nice "feel good" story and hopefully the morons that caused this will be kicked to the curb and left behind...there is no place for idiots like that.
Good for Whitney and they pople and fellow students that stood up to the bullieswith her.
It's critical that bullying practices are brought to the attention of all, so that a light can be shined on their thuggish actions. Only then will bullies understand the harm they do to others. Only then can they know the shame of their acts.
Good for you Sweet Heart! YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL!
LOL!! It blew up in all of the bullies faces! Great!
With all the children that commit suicide due to bullying, I think this community should be honored. I agree, totally, about making bullies pay. Community service, maybe videos, direct interaction with the ones they bullied. I remember seeing something about a year ago, basically kids ( at a school) of different social classes and peer groups were put in small groups and had to address each other's feelings, and share their problems. It seems the popular kids have just as many things going on in their lives as the unpopular ones. I think they should do more things like that for middle schoolers and up. I think it could help. It couldn't hurt.
Good for her and I hope the bullying has subsided for her throughout the remainder of her high school years and she can help it from happening as much in her high school community. Unfortunately, it is a problem that has worsened over the years and hard to escape with cellphones, text messages, social networks, internet, emails etc... and standing up to it, she at least made it a more positive experience for her and egg on the faces of those that started the prank but they'll not even acknowledge it.
she's a cute girl. i still don't understand what the joke was. morons usually do not tell the best jokes.
Good for her
this girl is a beautiful girl and of course the ugly people were jealous.
I wonder how many of those kids hanging posters and banners in support of her, were laughing at her behind her back before this became national news. And how many will soon turn back against her because of the positive attention she received, once the publicity dies off?
I was in High School in the '70s and thought kids could really be ugly and petty then - now I am shocked at what kids (and their parents!) will do now. What a sad, sick society.