At my old school I had an odd drama teacher and I want to know if I am being dramatic/imagining things. I was 15F at the time, this was almost 2 years ago though but I think about it a lot.
So one time we had a volleyball match at school and my friend and I had to wear the uniform beforehand to prepare. We still had to attend drama class just before the match and I was wearing spandex shorts and a volleyball jersey and so was my friend. He made us play a game that day called big booty where we went around in a circle saying “big booty big booty big booty aw yeah” and then go to the back of the line or something. It felt off to me but I didn’t say anything in the moment.
There was a boy at school who he knew had a crush on me and he made me play a game with him where we both wore masks in the dark with a spotlight on us and the whole class watching us and told me to act like he was the “cutest boy I had ever said” in his words. So obviously I was weirded out and didn’t want to do it and he asked me in front of the whole class over and over “why does this game make you uncomfortable” and I was like idk like what do you expect. And I knew he liked me so it was more uncomfortable.
Another time I had to read out a script and as I was doing it he wanted to demonstrate how he wanted me to do it so he made me sit on a chair while he circled around me got progressively closer to me until he was practically breathing down my neck and whispering the words in my ear I was so confused.
So after I performed it and he gave me feedback he was talking about how I have so much power and how I am so captivating or something like that and I was like okay. The day I was changing schools he was like “oh how disappointing our class won’t be the same without you” and I was like ok and then I left.
Comments
Yes that is definitely inappropriate behavior from a teacher. I’m sorry you experienced that. Something I’m still learning is trust your gut. If it felt wrong and you think about it a lot it probably wasn’t something that teacher should have been doing in the first place.
There is something off about it. He was getting his kicks from it. And with the part about where he played that game about that is an awkward emotional thing. I think he had a thing for you too. But glad it didn’t get progress to something worse. Did anyone else feel uncomfortable?
you’re not being dramatic
you’re not imagining things
this was weird
and it crossed boundaries—repeatedly
teachers are supposed to create safe environments, not make teenage girls feel uncomfortable in spandex or pressured to perform intimacy in front of a crowd
especially not when there’s a known dynamic with a boy who had a crush on you
none of that was drama class
that was power-play theater
and you were the target
you’re allowed to call it what it was: inappropriate, manipulative, and predatory-leaning
even if it wasn’t overt abuse, it was emotional coercion in a space where you had less power and no real way to say no
the fact that it still lingers with you years later? that’s your gut telling you it wasn’t okay
listen to it
trust it
you’re not crazy—you just finally feel safe enough to admit it was off
and no, “big booty” isn’t a normal warm-up game for 15-year-olds in volleyball shorts
don’t let anyone gaslight you into thinking otherwise