A young woman received more than 31,100 reactions and over 4,700 comments on social media for her story about reporting her classmates for joking that she had ‘pretty privilege.’
Male Dominated Course
The original poster (OP), who is 23 years old, is one of the few female students in a male-dominated course at a highly prestigious university. The other students are very competitive and do not take her seriously due to her gender, so she chooses to socialize with people outside of the course.
She Topped The Exams
One day, the professor congratulated her in front of everyone in the class for performing well on the recent exams, having topped two out of four.
The Male Classmates Joked That She Got Overscored
Following this, her interactions with a group of male classmates became increasingly hostile and rude. They were even crudely joking about the idea that pretty female students get overscored in assessments, which they revealed in a presentation about “Pretty Privilege.”
OP Was Dating Within The Department
Around that time, OP started seeing a Ph.D. student from within her department and had been casually meeting for about a month when they ran into her coursemates together.
Her Classmates Made Sure to Let The Professor Know
The next day in class, one of her male classmates asked if her “boyfriend” had helped with the exams. He said this intentionally loudly and in front of the professor, who knew the student they were talking about.
OP clarified that they were only friends, which seemed to fuel their gossip.
They Claimed She Received Exam Help
The coursemates kept discussing the matter in two additional classes within earshot of the professors, saying she received help for the exams, even though OP wasn’t seeing the Ph.D. student then.
OP Reported Her Rude Classmates
OP started to grow anxious and, not wanting everyone to know about her love life, mentioned the incident to her supervisor, who emailed the coursemates’ supervisors asking them to remind the students about proper conduct. The email described their treatment of an “unnamed female student.”
The Classmates Accused Her of Taking Things To Far
As a result, OP’s male peers figured out that she was the student in question and confronted her after class. Apparently, their supervisors were “very cold” and less interested in helping them.
They accused her of taking things too far as it was just a “silly joke” and suggested that one of them could lose out on his financial aid due to her complaint.
Was She Wrong?
Now, OP is feeling quite embarrassed and is unsure if she was right to report their behavior, especially since another friend of hers also said she took it too far.
OP wants to know if she was wrong for what she did.
Reactions From Social Media
OP’s case has sparked much debate on social media about whether or not she was right to report the behavior to the supervisor.
One user received more than 46,700 “upvotes” for their response: “Any retaliation should also be reported. They’re angling for some big problems if they keep this up.”
“Tell them maybe people would be more motivated to help them if they smiled more,” one person joked.
They Need to Be Stopped
“They know what they’re doing because jokers like this have been doing it for years— undermine your accomplishments, question your abilities, and then act shocked when you stand up for yourself,” another person responded.
“I’m happy and somewhat surprised that the faculty and administration are treating this as seriously as it deserves.”
Too Bad If The Guy Loses Financial Aid
“Also, if the guy loses any financial aid, he lost it himself with his actions,” said another. “He’s now trying to emotionally blackmail you into taking your accusation back. Don’t let them win.”
The commenters shared their honest opinions. “If their ‘pretty privilege joke’ made you lose out on a scholarship or caused you to be graded extra hard, they wouldn’t give it a crap,” one person stated. “They intentionally and repeatedly made this ‘silly joke’ out loud in front of professors.”
Read More: The Worst Things Teachers Have Confiscated
Teachers have seen it all. So we asked them: what was the worst thing they had ever confiscated from a student?
Their answers would be enough to put you off the teaching career for life.
Read Now: The 20 Worst Things Teachers Have Confiscated From Students
Read More: She Didn’t Want Her Son To Sleep At His Girlfriend’s Because “Something Felt Very Off”— And She Was Right
To a child, parents’ rules and restrictions may seem arbitrary and controlling. While the occasional rule might be strict, hindsight usually reveals that—more often than not—a parent’s intuition was right.
Read More: Dad Let His Son Take “Toy” To Show and Tell, Not Knowing What It Really Was
When Mom’s away, Dad and son will play.
Read More: Dad Let His Son Take “Toy” To Show and Tell, Not Knowing What It Really Was
Read More: Teaching or Chatting?
Did you know that up to 45% of all Americans have a side gig? Do you?
We found probably one of the most enjoyable, rewarding ways to earn money by teaching (chatting) with those who want to learn English online. Log in any time you want, 24/7, and get paid weekly for the hours you put in.
Learn More: Cambly 2023 Review, Requirements & Pay For Tutors (Beginner Friendly)
Read More: The Time I Ruined My High School Teacher’s Career and Got Her Fired in the Greatest Way Possible
A story about a high school student who was mistreated by his teacher and got her fired.
Read Now: The Time I Ruined My High School Teacher’s Career and Got Her Fired in the Greatest Way Possible.
TPR Teaching produced and syndicated the article: She Reported Her Classmates For Joking That She Has “Pretty Privilege.” Reddit Source.
Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.
