Hundreds have signed a petition asking for Charles Fowler to be fired from his job as assistant principal at Walhalla High School after posting comments about the girl's photo on social media.
Fowler took a photo of the kindergartner while out shopping and described her as "Honey Boo-Boo in Wal-Mart," referring to the reality TV star.
The girl's great-grandmother said the child stayed home from school Monday because of the widely viewed Facebook post.
"(My great-granddaughter) was up until after midnight and she was saying, 'Nanny, people are calling me Honey Boo-Boo,'" Thompson said. "She said, 'Nanny, I've got to lose some weight,' and she said, 'I don't want people to see me like this. She is so sweet and for someone to hurt her feelings like that - not only hers, but all our family. It's just so embarrassing you know, but more hurtful than embarrassing."
Thompson said she would meet Tuesday with Oconee County School District officials.
"(Fowler) just picked her out in Wal-Mart and then wants to ridicule her and call her Honey Boo-Boo just because she's overweight," the woman said. "She's got health problems. I take her to the doctor for that. He has devastated my family. He has embarrassed us."
A spokesman for the school district said the incident was under investigation, and they would follow disciplinary guidelines once they made their findings.
"We're certainly sorry this has become an issue," said Michael Thorsland, assistant superintendent for operations. "We shouldn't be dealing with something like this."
Watch this video report posted online by WYFF-TV:
Reader Comments
I feel SO sad for this little girl and for her mother because she must feel so helpless in her daughter's pain. The TOWN FOOL that caused all of this hurt and pain should be fired immediately, make a sincere public apology to this girl and her family and never be allowed to work near children again. The way he publicly humiliated this little girl, who will probably suffer a lifetime of no self-esteem and battle eating disorders should land him in jail......for a long time too. I find this story so shockingly sickening. This has taken bullying to a whole new lowness.
. . . the south-facing end of a northbound horse springs to mind.
"We shouldn't be dealing with something like this."
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'We shouldn't be dealing with anything.'
'We shouldn't be dealing with things we don't like.'
'We shouldn't be dealing _______.'
'Fire this guy. We'll opt for the administrator we deserve.'
This teacher is everything except a teacher. Like doctors that are rid of their right to practice when they mal-practice, this man should be rid of his right to teach. Infinitum. He is a bad and mean person that is using is job and position to wound a child. This is a sort of torture. Teaching is one of the most beautiful careers in this planet, you are a gardener when you teach. To have a good teacher is one of the most beautiful experience a child can have. But to have a mean teacher can be the most traumatizing experience of a life. So out of him.