'If you don't do this, you'll fail my class': Asthmatic student gets PE teacher fired after maliciously complying with bogus school policy

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jan 5, 2024 8:00 AM EST

Many gym teachers are likely accustomed to hearing silly excuses to get out of physical activities, but when it comes to valid medical reasons, those teachers better listen. Otherwise, they are putting the student at risk health-wise, and they are putting their jobs on the line as well. 

Let this post be a cathartic space for you to reflect and let out any lingering frustration with regard to how you feel about that PE teacher. For me, it's the one who made us do 10 push-ups every time we couldn't catch a football. For the record, this was when I was in first grade, so it wasn't like I had personally elected to join the football team; this was fully something I was forced to do. Unfortunately, I was unable to get my gym teacher in trouble for enforcing punitive treatment. However, a few years later, I was able to petition to get out of having to attend gym class if you were in the school musical. Non-athletic kids like me did not have many wins when it came to gym class, so this was certainly one of them.

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  • 01
    "My family sued the teacher and the school"
    via sporlab

  • This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/OximoronHigh, who rightfully attempted to get out of a ridiculous mandatory run because of their asthma. The teacher refused to let the student get out of the exercise and wound up regretting that decision down the road. 

    Keep scrolling below for the full story. When you're done, check out this post about workers who made similar errors on the job. 

  • 02
    r/r/MaliciousCompliance Posted by u/OximoronHigh 13 hours ago . You don't believe that I'm asthmatic? ok S OC Not sure if this classifies as MC but here it goes. I attended highschool in a very polluted city. The campus had 2 of the most saturated streets in my city. For PE there was a mandatory race we had to do every Q and it consisted of swimming 40 semi- Olympic pools and then running 5 laps around the school. We were supposed to finish the swimming and then just put shoes on and a shirt and
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 03
    I explained to the teacher that it would not be a good idea for me to do that as I have asthma and between the cold, damp clothes, and pollution, it was not a good idea and that I should only do one of the two. She said, "If you don't do this, you'll fail my class, school policy". I said ok.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 04
    I then did everything as expected and I lost my breath in the middle of the third lap. Long story short, I was in the hospital for 2 weeks recovering. My family sued the teacher and the school. She then lost her job.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 05
    Separate-Parfait6426. 13 hr. ago I had a HS teacher make me run an 800 because there was no note from the doctor saying I could not be doing PE. I had a doctor appt after school to see if I had pneumonia (mom made me go to school because I was always sick). Collapsed half way through - had pneumonia - wish my parents had my back.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 06
    OximoronHigh OP. 12 hr. ago Same here... I thought I was just going to be grounded for failing the class as my parents were frickin' strict.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 07
    RabidRathian. 9 hr. ago I sometimes have low blood sugar but when I feel an episode coming on (getting clammy/sweating a lot and light headed with a headache), if I catch it early enough and eat a muesli bar and sit and rest for 5 minutes, I can generally reverse it and feel more or less normal.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 08
    Had a manager at my retail job (we'll call her Stacy) who, on two separate occasions, decided to FAFO with regards to my blood sugar.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 09
    The first time she saw me opening a packet of jelly beans (those Glucojel ones from the chemist) while walking around trying to put stock away in my department, she screamed at me to "put them away and don't eat while on the floor". I tried to tell her I needed them because I wasn't feeling well and she wouldn't have it, so I went and put them in my locker and then came back and continued working. As my blood sugar continued to drop, I felt worse and worse til I passed out in my department in fr
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 10
    This was supported by a medical certificate I got from the doctor the following day, so instead of having me not work for a minute or so while I ate some jelly beans, they had me not working for that whole shift and the next two shifts).
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 11
    The second time was when I was trying to eat a muesli bar in the fitting room when there were no customers (it was about 10am on a Sunday morning and the store was dead). Manager saw me and screamed that I shouldn't eat in the fitting rooms "under any circumstances" and when I tried to explain that it was for my blood sugar, she said "If you're really that sick, go home!" I shrugged and went home, leaving the manager to have to answer phones herself for several hours because no one else working
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 12
    On both occasions, the store manager later asked why I hadn't stayed home or gone home earlier if I was sick. I explained to him that I wouldn't have needed to go home or stay home if I'd just been allowed to eat something to keep my blood sugar up and he said that from then on I could keep a muesli bar or jelly beans to eat while I was working if I needed to. Sadly Stacy never faced any consequences for that or any of the other she pulled.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 13
    WyvernJelly 11 hr. ago This happened to my nephew but it was a heart issue. He kept telling he couldn't do the running for the physical fitness thing. It's in his file that he can't run. Well he did what the teacher said and collapsed. Ambulance was called and MIL went with him to the hospital. Then a few months later he fell in gym. Same teacher. He said his arms hurt really bad. Teacher told him to walk it off. After class some of his classmates took him to the office. He broke both wrists.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 14
    gratekeeping 12 hr. ago Must have been really severe to be in the hospital that long. I guess you were complying more naively rather than maliciously. It __.___ that the teacher caused you that much harm.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 15
    WolfHeartAurora 11 hr. ago I think every single student in my high school who wasn't on the swim team would have failed that gym class. I can't even swim to begin with.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 16
    SLJ7 13 hr. ago Did you know you'd be in the hospital that long? It really doesn't seem worthwhile.
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 17
    OximoronHigh OP. 12 hr. ago I was 17 and stupid. I never thought it was going to get to that point. My mom grounded me for being this irresponsible. And this was in the 90's. Agree
    via u/OximoronHigh
  • 18
    SAD-MAX-CZ. 4 hr. ago I hate PE. Every win against these vile teachers is good. Almost got my spine broken several times just to pass this nonsense class.
    via u/OximoronHigh

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gym students malicious compliance malicious-compliance-reddit teacher high school reddit thread Reddit Terrible Teacher malicious compliance reddit
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