Chapter 364 The Principal’s Decision
Catherine had just opened her Twitter when she was bombarded by a barrage of mocking comments from netizens. Catherine once claimed on a variety show while accompanying Audrey that she would never venture into the entertainment industry.
Now, Catherine was being dragged into the spotlight, with many netizens accusing her of having a burning desire for fame.
Some even started a trending topic on Twitter, demanding a vote to kick Catherine out of the competition. They believed that someone like Catherine didn’t deserve to be part of the competition team, let alone have the qualifications to win.
Apart from some objective commenters, there were also a bunch of bored keyboard warriors. They vented their frustrations under Catherine’s tweet with a barrage of insults and curses.
After Branden glanced at it, his expression darkened instantly. He reached out to take Catherine’s phone from her hand. “Don’t look at that. How about some late-night snacks?
Although late-night snacks were not the healthiest, Catherine was still growing, and a bit of extra nutrition wouldn’t hurt.
Catherine gave the comments a cursory look. She didn’t really care about those online comments. Just when she was about to put her phone away, a call came through. It was her homeroom teacher, Miss Joyce.
Catherine answered the call and held the phone to her ear.
“Catherine, it’s Myra. You haven’t gone to bed yet, have you?”
“Uh-huh,” Catherine grumbled. “I’m calling late mainly about the competition. As you know, it has sparked some discussions online.”
Myra’s voice sounded somewhat awkward, as it wasn’t a very positive situation, and it was understandable that it might be uncomfortable.
“You are my student, and I naturally believe in you. I hope you can clarify this externally, at least to convey our stance. If you need assistance, I can help you draft an official statement.”
In fact, the minimum educational qualification for teaching at Loyalty Academy was a Ph.D., and Myra’s qualifications were indeed impressive.
“Miss Joyce, I understand, and I will handle it,” Catherine responded directly. Seeing that Catherine had her own plans, Myra decided not to dwell on the matter. “Alright, then. If you need any assistance, don’t hesitate to contact me.”
After ending the call with Catherine, Myra turned her attention to the people at the head of the table. In fact, they were all still in the school conference room because of Catherine’s situation.
Catherine’s situation had sparked considerable discussion online and had directly impacted the school’s reputation. The principal had decided to keep them all for a meeting, and the recent phone call was also initiated by the principal.
The math teacher standing nearby couldn’t help but get infuriated by the homeroom teacher’s lukewarm defense of Catherine.
Ever since the incident the last time, her position at school had been declining day by day, and some students even looked down on her.
She lost opportunities for promotions and professional recognition. It was all because of Catherine. How could she possibly like Catherine?
“Miss Joyce, you’re quite good at protecting your students. I think Catherine is nothing but a troublemaker. A student who tarnishes the school’s reputation should be expelled!”
Although the math teacher’s views were sharp, many other teachers also expressed their dissatisfaction with Catherine.
This was mainly because Catherine’s situation had led to online users conducting a virtual witch hunt. They even dragged teachers who had taught her into the fray. They questioned these teachers’ methods in their Twitter posts.
This backlash was hurting their interests, which was why they were all so hostile toward Catherine.
Seeing everyone’s negative comments about Catherine, the homeroom teacher couldn’t help but speak up, Dear colleagues, I understand your feelings. But I know my student’s character very well. Even though Catherine might seem aloof, she’s still a good student. This situation might be a misunderstanding, and I hope everyone can give Catherine a chance to clarify.”
“Misunderstanding?” The math teacher sneered a few times. Then, he said, “Miss Joyce, you’re quite lenient. How can you call Catherine, who sleeps in class and even got into a fight with students from another school last time, a good student?”
On a previous occasion, students from another school had come to Loyalty Academy to provoke a fight with Catherine, and she had only given them a simple lesson.
Since it was the other school’s fault, the school didn’t hold Catherine accountable. Now, the math teacher was attacking Catherine for this issue.
“I believe she’s a bad influence and should be expelled.”
She strongly suggested that the principal should expel Catherine to minimize the damage. The principal was also somewhat hesitant, but with so many teachers expressing their views, he needed to balance their opinions.
Just when the principal was about to make a decision, the phone on his desk rang. He asked the teachers to wait and got up to answer the call. Two minutes later, the principal returned, ending the call.
The math teacher and others were impatiently waiting for the principal to announce Catherine’s expulsion since they thought the principal seemed inclined in that direction.
Myra could also guess and still wanted to make an effort. She was biased toward Catherine. She believed Catherine hadn’t done anything wrong and that she deserved a chance to explain her side of the story.
“Principal…” Myra spoke up, but she was interrupted by the principal’s gesture. She had no choice but to give up. Watching the smug faces of the math teacher and others, Myra felt wronged and unsatisfied.
In her eyes, Catherine hadn’t done anything wrong. There wasn’t a definitive conclusion on the matter.
The principal gestured for everyone to quiet down and spoke with an unyielding tone, “I’ve heard all your opinions. Personally, I believe that until there’s a conclusive resolution, as educators, we should first believe in our students’ character.
“If we don’t trust them, who will? So, in this matter, the board of directors has decided to support Catherine and our student body. Let’s not discuss the topic of expelling Catherine any further. We won’t easily cast any student out of our school.”
The principal’s stance suddenly turned rigid and firm. The other teachers understood the shift in the situation and didn’t dare to bring up the matter again. Although the math teacher was dissatisfied, she didn’t dare to confront the principal.
Moreover, the principal mentioned the board of directors. It hinted that the Swanns might be exerting pressure.
Even though Catherine had a complicated background within the Swanns, the Swanns’ stock holdings still seemed to be under her name. It was possible for her family to intervene.
In any case, the hope of expelling Catherine seemed to have faded. The happiest person in the room was undoubtedly Myra, who could finally breathe a sigh of relief. At the same time, Catherine was in Oceanvile.
Catherine watched as Branden put down his phone and looked up at him. ” Did you call the school’s board of directors?”
Branden nodded slightly and appeared quite casual. “I took care of it.”
When it came to Catherine’s affairs, he paid more attention to every detail than to a project worth several hundred million dollars.
The Duncans were the largest shareholder on Loyalty Academy’s board of directors, and his words could easily sway the entire board.
