From lifelong friendships and first crushes to inspiring lessons and adventurous field trips, school is a place that holds countless memories we’ll never forget.
But not all of them are joyful.
Especially for these Redditors who, through no fault of their own, were sent to the principal’s office for the most absurd and unfair reasons. Some of these moments were so painful that they still sting today. Read their stories below, and let us know if you’ve ever faced anything similar.
#1
High School - eating an apple in the hallway before homeroom. the VP wanted me to throw it out and i refused because i didn't want to waste food. got detention. was released as soon as the busses left. had to find a ride home.
at lunch i found the worst looking, bruised, mushy apple i could find and brought it to detention with me. left it on her desk.
Image credits: IceeEwe
#2
For getting beat up.
I kid you not, the principle once told me that if I don't fight, I won't get in trouble. I let this kid bully me and punch me repeatedly in the face, just to avoid getting in trouble. I was still sent to the principal's office, and then told by him that I was in a fight so I'm getting suspended, even though I didn't fight. From his point of view, by getting punched in the face, I'm involved in the fight.
I never trusted authorities again after that.
Image credits: Former_Range_1730
#3
I'll always remember the time I took the Madagascar CD to school to exchange it for the Ice Age CD with a friend in 9th grade. The CDs didn't have covers, and when the principal caught us exchanging them, he assumed the worst and called our parents to school. But then, when the principal opened the CD on his desktop, it was playing Madagascar! My parents were annoyed for being called to school for no reason, and the principal had to apologize. This all happened in India, and it was quite an unforgettable experience!
Image credits: Apprehensive_Day_654
#4
Oh ???♀️.... Let me tell you why I got set to the principal's office in 7th grade...my shop teacher walked up to me and kissed my hand-then KISSED MY MOUTH. I slapped his face and he told me to go to the principal's office! This was in front of every single kid in that class!! The principal called my mom, I remember she was in that office within less than 10mins flat.Called that shop teacher down to the office and they told me to wait outside the office with the school secretary. I'm 50 years old and I can STILL hear my mother screaming/ripping them a new a*****e. I was moved to Home Ec Class. My mom made a police report-her boyfriend was a cop. Nothing else ever came of it. That teacher left the school at the end of the year.
Image credits: Wyo911
#5
In 6th grade, I cut a dime in half on a paper cutter, and was given a week of in school suspension for ‘making weapons’. The school was in DC, and the principal also called the secret service for ‘defacing money’.
An agent actually showed up! He spoke to me for all of 30 seconds, basically saying I’d have been smarter to use it at an ice cream truck, and half a dime is no use to anyone.
A science teacher who took a shine to me later told me that the agent spent half an hour with the principal, explaining that his call was stupid, an absolute waste of time, and not to do it again. Made that week in ISS go a little easier for me. .
Image credits: Wax_and_Wane
#6
16 in highschool, vice principal dragged me to the office for literally holding my boyfriend's hand during lunch time. It was a public school, not even religious, and I had never heard a rule against hand holding in my life. She was making me late for class after lunch while she was calling my mum at work and I knew she was in for it lmao. My mother is a nightmare and did NOT appreciate being bothered at work and having me out of class for something she's seen me do 100 times with my long term boyfriend. VP got yelled at (my mum is very scary) and told never to call her at work again. I knew that's exactly what would happen lol and I hope the righteous teenage smirk I gave her walking out of that office still haunts her to this day.
Image credits: emjaykay1988
#7
Saying "gay people are not evil" at a Christian high school.
Image credits: HorizonZeroDawn2
#8
Running to a trusted teacher's room when a girl was chasing me with a freaking shiv. wtf, he literally said, well, you should've gone to the gym coach (it happened in the locker room after pe). I asked him what the hell did he think I was going to do, stop and consider who to go to first? I was about to be stabbed, you idiot. I actually said those exact words, this memory is so strong it's like it happened yesterday. He just stood there slack jawed and then, without saying anything else, said "Ok, go back to class." What a dimwit.
Image credits: Opening-End-7346
#9
I got interested in the Salem witch trials when I was about 11, and as a fast reader who hyper-fixates, I had checked several books out of the library on the topic to read. I kept these books on my desk and carried them around while doing my research. One of the other kids in my class went crying to the principal that I was a witch, so I got called into the principal's office to explain my choice of reading. Thankfully the principal took one look at my books, saw that they were all non-fiction/history, and pretty much laughed me out of the office. (For context, this was the early 90s, so the Satanic panic was still going fairly strong.).
Image credits: Beshelar
#10
For being a lesbian .
Got 3 days suspended too .
I was 7.
My mother went to the school and read them the riots act ,
I was back the following day.
( background story : me and my best friend had plan going to her grandads farm the weekend .
We often spend weekends in her house . Her dad was awesome . Her mom was a lovely lady .
So what really happened was she went to one of the cubicles to pee and I was washing my hands further down the toilet . We were talking about what to bring for the weekend, so I finished washing my hands and sat on the floor talking to her opposite to the cubicles, she had the door open as we often did chat away at her house .
The Math teacher walked in the bathroom and freaked out throw us both to the principal and home .
Thing is we didn’t even know why we were there.
My mom and her dad were summoned.
Oh the b******t .
My mother absolutely ate them alive .
(My mother was a lecturer she taught Sex and Psychology. )
So .. ye.
#11
I once got sent to the principal's office for wearing mismatched socks. Apparently, it was a 'distraction.'
Image credits: Ellymoree
#12
My friend broke his wrist (like obviously broken) on the playground and I ran inside to help the teacher find an icepack. It took at least 5 minutes before I lost my patience and ran inside because around a year earlier I came across one while cleaning the principals office (that was deserved tho). Because kids weren’t allowed to go inside during recess (while I helped both the teacher and my friend), I had to stay at the principals office and had detention for a week….
Image credits: DeporterAcadiens
#13
Spent all of lunch recess in the bathroom because I had a nasty bout of diarrhea.
Was told I should have asked permission before going back inside first.
He later apologized.
Image credits: jacobr1020
#14
Getting an alergic reaction that inturrupted a kids presentation.
Image credits: Fun-Bit3116
#15
They served dinner rolls in the cafeteria at lunch. About 4th grade a teacher sent me to the principals office for sticking my finger in my roll. Not throwing it at anyone. Just sitting there bored and playing with my food. I got 5 licks from the principal. Even at the time I thought this is ridiculous. Still do. This was back in the days when if you got in trouble at school you didn’t dare tell your parents and you hoped they didn’t find out because you’d just get in more trouble at home.
Image credits: Justbeingme_92
#16
Wearing a green bow in my hair. Apparently, it didn't appropriately compliment my blue jumper.
Image credits: Tryingtodosomethingg
#17
"Refusing to deny the existance of negative numbers."
I can't recall the exact details of the assignment, as it was several decades ago, but I got into a shouting match with my 1st grade teacher over an assignment where we had to arrange numbers to make new equations. We hadn't been taught negative numbers officially, but my dad had taught me how the worked while I was in preschool. (Even as a tiny kid, i was still a huge nerd.) I kept arranging the equations to give both positive and negative results, but the teacher only wanted positive answers and got mad at me for "doing it wrong" but she couldn't explain a "right way" to do things that made any sense, just basically told me I was cheating. I got sent to the pricipals office, explained the situation, and he was like, "yeah, I don't know why she's not letting you submit those answers. If you want, you can hang out here and read until that assignement is over. I'll talk to her after class." He did, and the teacher apologized to me the next day.
That principal was a good dude, and part of the reason I eventually ended up getting a teaching degree. The teacher, not so much.
Image credits: LemurianLemurLad
#18
I hugged a friend who was away for over a month, with enthusiasm. My teacher claimed I was assaulting him so I was forced by the principal to write apology letters to my friend and the teacher. I refused and my parents had to get involved.
Image credits: That_OneOstrich
#19
Back in junior high one of my classmates passed out while sitting outside on the bench during lunchtime.
One of her friends stayed with her in the office till the other girls mom came to get her, so the friend was 10-15 minutes late to class.
Teacher asked her why she was late and she told her what happened.
I'll never forget that old bat's response:" Why? You're not her mother"
Image credits: Historical_Gur_3054
#20
I was knocked unconscious by someone who felt that I didn’t deserve to be on the lacrosse team. After being checked out by the school nurse, I and my mother were told that I was being suspended even though “the other boy said that he did it completely and fully without provocation and he admitted as such”
Image credits: Rhana
#21
A kid in my 1st/2nd grade class said she was feeling sick and asked to go to the bathroom; the teacher lost her s**t and told her no after reading the riot act. The kid proceeded to vomit all over...everything, got sent out to the bathroom and eventually made her way to the principal's office once she stopped, erm, *dripping*. A hell of a bad day for a 7-year-old.
This was one of many awful things that teacher did to elementary school students who lacked the finesse and language skills to persuade their parents that she really, truly was the devil. My parents didn't believe me about her until I was in my 20s. Hers is the only axe I keep around for grinding.
If Miss Ehlert is still alive, I hope it's because her next of kin refuse to pull the plug despite terminal pain and suffering.
Image credits: Entarotupac
#22
For falling asleep in a class. It was a class that just happened to be taught by the director.
Image credits: bella_bellangel70
#23
I got sent to the principal's office for a paddling that was meant for my identical twin brother. There were embarrassed apologies made the next day.
Image credits: not_an_entrance
#24
Got sent for bringing a pet rock to class. thought it would be a cool show and tell... principal didn’t see the genius i guess.
Image credits: xmio_gem
#25
Punching a b***h boy in the face for slapping my a*s in the hallway.
Image credits: anon
#26
I wanted to do stand up comedy for the talent show at my high school and the principal requested that I came to her office and perform my act in front of her and her alone. She was not amused and said I couldn't participate in the talent show.
Image credits: waynechriss
#27
Had a kid make a comment about my long hair and being a disgusting Indian. I turned and looked him dead in the eye and said Custer made a comment like that once. The teacher was trying so hard not to laugh but sent us both to the office.
#28
Smoking in the girls room after school. I'm a male, was 18 at the time and also had an after school job. Just happened that a girl with the same name as me was the culprit and our asst. Principal was a dumbass.
#29
Being part of a group on the blacktop where one kid pulled the strings of my friend’s hoodie and tied it in a knot around my friend’s face. Think like Kenny from SP.
Me and another friend were trying to untie the knot but couldn’t. Teachers saw and escorted all of us (me, my best friend, the other kid and friend) through the halls of the school towards the principal’s office while my friend still had the hood tied shut. They said it was a form of bullying and my best friend, the other kid and I got lunch detention for the week.
We all (including the adults) didn’t realize we could just pull the sweatshirt over my friend’s head like you would normally do to take it off.
This was back in middle school.
#30
For getting upset when another kid slapped me.
#31
I got detention for "computer hacking" in the 90s because I guessed the teacher's password on the school network.
It wasn't my fault that every user's password was the teacher's initials plus the name of the school.
akces. The password that made me a computer criminal...
#32
Having a low blood sugar in class. I know I know how dare me.
Image credits: jesus_he_is_queer
#33
My hair touched my collar.
#34
Not a kid but senior year with end in sight my buddies and I just started doing more and more stupid s**t. Got bet I wouldn’t show up in a borrowed gf’s black bra and white shirt. Had to wear it all day and around fourth period teach sent me to the principal. He just started laughing and said to take it off and was going to confiscate said bra. It got weird when I couldn’t unhook it myself and he almost lunged to help. We both decided I should go do it in private lol.
#35
Substitute teacher mispronounced my last name. I simply replied with correct pronounciation of my last name. He said "huh", so I repeated it. He then starred at me for like 3 seconds and then told me to go to the office lol.
#36
I was sexually assaulted in the mudroom by grade 8 boys when I was in grade 6. When I told the principal, he admonished me for saying such horrible things about such nice boys.
I was an avid reader, and he told me to stop making up stories like the ones I read in books. He wanted me to take him to our school library (as if that’s the only library) and show him which book I got my story from. I gave up.
I switched schools two weeks later when I told my mom I wanted to die. But I didn’t tell her about the assault because I thought she’d do the same thing as my principal. I was a good kid, but my parents always took the teachers’ side because they were also teachers and I was a kid.
Image credits: RadioSupply
#37
3rd grade… Wrote a swear word with pretzels on the lunch table and showed my friend. We laughed.
Somebody else sitting at the table told on us.
We didnt get to have recess for the rest of the week!
Image credits: DaveyMuldowney
#38
Story time! I had water bottles at the top of my locker that were half filled… with water just old forgot they were up there. The art teacher who was a menace was monitoring the hall that day (just to make sure kids are going to class after lunch) I noticed her standing really close to my locker but did not think anything of it.
So I go to English class, and within 15 mins I look up bc my principal is calling me to come with him. Talk about wtf embarrassing moment.. so I walk with him down to his office, he sits me down and tells me I’ve been accused of having alcohol in my locker. I literally freaked tf out, I was in 7th grade who the hell would tell my principal that. I was a good kid too. I asked him if my mom was pranking me, he chuckled and walked me down to my locker. We opened my locker up, he looked confused and pointed to the bottles of water at the top - grabbed them opened them up, sniffed them and just kinda stood there like (?) okay, sorry for your time, and walked me back to class. I’m like an in trouble? He’s like no, you’re good I will call your parents, still not explaining anything to me. I went back to English and I sat and figured it out… my b***h a*s art teacher who hated all children told my principal this BS! oof my mom was livid but something to laugh at years later.
#39
I got sent to the principal for "liberating" all the classroom pets during recess. My defense was that the hamsters looked stressed and needed a break. Apparently, the chaos of chasing down hamsters and fish didn’t count as relaxing to the teachers.
Image credits: bubble_alexis
#40
Getting caught doodling in class instead of paying attention.
#41
At the very British-inspired international school I went to, when we were done with an assignment in class, we were supposed to sit with our hands on our heads until everyone else was done. I was a ridiculously fast reader and completely incapable of sitting still with nothing to do (I was also five years old), so I got sent to the principal's office almost every day. My parents just gave up trying to discuss this with the school in the end.
#42
For putting a letter in his mail box asking to remove our maths teacher and give a new one.
#43
Monday morning suspended for partcipating in an impromptu school walk out about the dress code on a Friday. Was sent home.
Only I was at home with my dad and was ill on that Friday.
Dad's start hours were later, he had a written complaint letter from the principal's office as did all those who walked out and was reading it as I opened the door after being sent home.
He asked me about it. Blindsided, The walkout was news to me.
Wow! to hear the Principal's reaction on the phone with my dad dressing him down for externally suspended me without evidence would have been awesome.
On my end my dad was my hero.
My dad told me I could go back to school right after. Instead I got to stay home and watch TV until the siblings came home.
Next day I was called in to the office again, for an apology from the principal.
Until I graduated he never called me in his office again.
Dad remained my hero until he the day he died.
#44
For throwing me a flatulence, what happens is that there were many of them hahahaha.
Image credits: thebestangel6363
#45
Being late to class as I was right there the whole time.
Image credits: Shadow122791
#46
Allegedly cheating on basic math because I didn't need to show my work. Not my fault that fractions were not that difficult for me. Sorry, everyone else in my class is an idiot.
