Tampabay: Parents sue to get student reinstated

The family of Taylor Tillung, the Pinellas high school senior who mooned a teacher in February, is suing the School Board to get his punishment reduced.

A student at Palm Harbor University High when the incident occurred, Taylor was suspended for six days and reassigned to Clearwater High for the rest of the school year.

A lawsuit filed Tuesday in Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Court alleges the transfer was unreasonably harsh because it denies him the once-in-a-lifetime chance to graduate next month with his class, participate in senior activities leading up to graduation and play his final season on Palm Harbor's varsity baseball team.

Tillung, according to the suit, had hoped a successful senior season would help him make the baseball team at Florida State University, where he has been admitted.

The suit alleges school administrators did not follow discipline procedures outlined in the district's Code of Student Conduct.

The boy mooned the teacher "suddenly and without thinking about the consequences," the lawsuit states. It says he saw the act as a "childish joke" and did not mean to insult the teacher. It also notes that he apologized.

It is not uncommon for parents to threaten legal action against the School Board, but few families follow through.

To those who say the family is taking the issue too far, Tillung's lawyer, B. Edwin Johnson, said "they don't know the facts." He added: "We're talking about his graduation. That's an important event in a guy's life. ... This kid deserves a break."

School Board Attorney Jim Robinson said late Tuesday he had not seen the lawsuit, but declared the district would "review it and defend it."

He said, "Without knowing the allegations, we're confident in the administration's position on this case."

Taylor, 18, is listed as a plaintiff with his parents, Todd and Terry Tillung of Palm Harbor. The lawsuit comes a week after a top district official, Michael Bessette, turned down the family's final appeal.

With only six weeks left in the school year, Johnson said he hoped a judge will hear the case soon.

The incident occurred Feb. 21 when Taylor tried to gain access to the annual Lip Sync show at Palm Harbor University High. When veteran teacher Carla Webster told him the event was sold out and the auditorium was too full, Taylor pressed her to let him in.

After she declined, he mooned the teacher. The lawsuit concedes that he made the act worse "by spreading his buttocks for an instant."

In a letter to district administrators, Palm Harbor principal Herman "Doc" Allen called the episode "disgusting" and said Taylor had been argumentative and defiant before mooning Webster, whom he described as "traumatized." It also described his apologies as insincere.

The lawsuit contends Allen's letter contains lies and exaggerations, and paints "a far darker, sinister Taylor Tillung than had been known up until the mooning incident."

It notes that the boy had a 3.2 grade point average and a disciplinary record with only two referrals for being tardy.

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Comments on this article

by randy	04/11/07 07:59 PM
Yes he was stupid. traumatizing? i don't think so. he should get to graduate with his class. god knows we all do stupid things in life. teacher and the school board should grow up. shurly they've seen a butt before.

by Bob	04/10/07 01:24 AM
"THe kid should get a chance to talk to the judge- During his trial for indecent exposure... Sorry, but the kid isn't the victim here, and his parents should not be trying to rescue him from the consequences of his behavior.

by Mindy	04/09/07 06:11 AM
This shows life isn't fair. It's not fair the teacher had to be exposed against her will. It's not fair his punishment hurt his little feelers. It's not fair that stories like this send the message that people can sue to make life fair. It's not.

by jen	04/07/07 11:31 AM
It's just plain disrespectful. Respect for others, especially elders is almost nonexistent today. If you do not care for a person be adult and walk away.

by David	04/07/07 09:22 AM
I'll tell you who else isn't stoppimg to consider the consequences - the parents. His mother is a real estate agent. The publicity generated by this is bound to hurt her professionally. And all just for Taylor's graduation night!

by dave	04/07/07 08:23 AM
His parents made him the mess he is and they are reinforcing it with this law suit. I hope the University that has accepted him reconsiders and dumps him.

by Phil	04/06/07 11:54 PM
Who on this blog hasn't looked at a butthole? I don't mean to be crude but the fact is you're crazy if you believe someone was traumatized by seeing another person's anus. The teacher seems to need attention. I just feel the punishment was harsh.

by Susan	04/06/07 07:04 PM
Even with the transfer he will graduate. There are only 6 weeks left of school. The ball season is virtually over. Most 'scouts' have seen what they need by now. I don't feel for the young man but I do feel for the teacher who was 'exposed' to him.

by Maddy	04/06/07 05:34 PM
Wow,as a middle school student, this is one of the dumbest things I've heard in my whole life.What kind of kid would have the decency to do that to a teacher?Let's give a round of applause to the teacher & admin. Mom and Dad... shame on you!

by Robin	04/06/07 05:13 PM
Congrats to the admin & teacher for holding a star athlete to the same standards as other students. His pathetic parents should consider their son lucky that he isn't fighting criminal charges like harassment & indecent exposure.

by Mary	04/06/07 04:34 PM
"Ruin his life?" Give me a break. Lots of seniors miss their graduation or have to move their senior year. It is a disappointment, not life altering. Other young men his age are fighting and dying in Iraq. I'll save my sympathy for them.

by Joe	04/06/07 03:20 PM
Don't take life so seriously people. Get Real. It's funny.

by Bob	04/06/07 03:06 PM
If this is the only thing the kid did wrong in 18 years, I think the parents did a good job, and are now supporting their kid the best way they can. The school board needs to be kept in check and not potentially ruin a life due to a single mistake.

by Bob	04/06/07 02:41 PM
The kid has an excellent record. He made a mistake after 18 years of hard work. Give him the option of community service and let him graduate and play ball. We are a punitive society,and it's not working. Let us not be merciless and cut him a break

by Leo	04/06/07 02:26 PM
No, let him suffer for his mis-deed. At that age, he's old enough to know right from wrong. Obviously, his parents have accomodated his acting out in the past, it's time he grew up and realized that there are consequences to ones actions in life.

by Dave	04/06/07 10:59 AM
No, Jill, what he did was obscene. He didn't just show his buttocks; he showed his anus.

by Misty	04/06/07 10:52 AM
The teacher may have overreacted, but having to graduate from a different school will hopefully teach this kid that there are consequences to putting yourself in a bad situation, fair or not. Clearly, he will not learn that from his parents.

by Dave	04/06/07 10:34 AM
Another case of lax parental discipline and condoning bad behavior. Thank you Mr. & Mrs Tillung for raising an irresponsible man/child.

by Paul	04/06/07 08:43 AM
If I did that in school I wouldn't be able to sit down for a week (because I had parents that gave a damm and taught me right from wrong). I still think this is all about Taylor playing baseball-everything else is just a smokescreen by the lawyer.

by Jill	04/05/07 04:15 PM
I went to PHUHS. They forget to mention it's Webster's last year before retirement. She hates most of the students and could care less about the ones not in her Drama class. What he did was childish, but being expelled? Maybe that's a little harsh.

by Rick	04/05/07 03:45 PM
Bad part about this is some "stupid" judge will allow this to go to court - the "dumb" jurorò019s will agree with the parents/student and because it took so long to settle will award $100K to the family so the kid can attend FSU - our court system!

by Joe	04/05/07 02:51 PM
If the district caves in, it will show that they do not care about its staff, and that all this character training they are teaching to kids means nothing if you have the resources to get what you want. A lawsuit because he cannot behave? Incredible

by Johnny	04/05/07 02:41 PM
what a baby

by Mark	04/05/07 11:36 AM
It is enlightening to see so many respondents with the right attitude. Perhaps if more people were taught at a young age that actions have consequences our prisons and our streets would not be full of the element they are now.

by K	04/05/07 10:37 AM
I'd be interested to see how FSU reacts now that the family's gotten themselves in the news. Though if somebody's traumatized by seeing a pair of buttocks, they probably haven't the stomach to deal with teenagers. It's a body part, people.

by David	04/05/07 08:38 AM
If he did that same act with little children around, he would face charges as a pedaphile in the state of FL. He should get worse!

by Candi	04/05/07 12:10 AM
The guy got what was coming to him, he isent a fifth grader! He know's right from wrong, why is he any different than any one else if they did that. It's desgusting what he did. Stupid and he's in 12th grade. He need's punished and should have gotten

by Meyer	04/04/07 10:56 PM
Kick him out of the system. Let him get a GED. Or, let him get home schooling. Maybe he'll moon his mom. Wonder what she'd do then.

by Micky	04/04/07 10:36 PM
Goo, goo! Wah, wah! I'm 18 and am just now learning negative behavior has negative consequences. Puleeeze! B'Lynn had it right - some people just shouldn't be allowed to breed and the doltish Tillung's are the case in point!No values, so sense.

by Tony	04/04/07 10:25 PM
They have alot more money than brains.....

by jim	04/04/07 09:52 PM
If he was a black kid from south St Pete would anyone be defending him?

by Joe	04/04/07 09:42 PM
People need to learn actions have consequences. I guarantee if I had done something like that when I was in school, I would be out in a flash. my parents would have certainly backed the school.

by Martha	04/04/07 09:41 PM
I agree with the parents, he should be able to graduate with his PHUH class. The teacher should have been upset, but not traumatized by this act. At least he apologized. Now the teacher needs to grow up and accept his apology so they can both move on

by Fran	04/04/07 09:40 PM
What would have happened if he mooned his parent,(oops, but his mom is not a teacher.) If it was a judge, contempt of court, if it was law enforcement, go directly to jail. If it was a mother, support school's decision. If it was a Father, be a Man,

by Roger	04/04/07 09:33 PM
Not that I'm disagreeing with all of you but looking back at High School, I did some pretty stupid things and the only difference here is that I was lucky I didn't get caught. I imagine most of us were lucky to survive our own stupidity.

Parents sue to get student reinstated

The senior was suspended for six days and transferred after he mooned a teacher.