Schools can be some of the world's biggest rumor mills. Teens congregate in corridors, spreading unverified stories, gossip and speculation. Careless whispers, broken telephone and words that spread like wildfire... The next thing you know: it's the biggest scandal of the century. But it never actually happened.
Whether it's a secret love affair, a teenage pregnancy, or a student who cheated in the latest exam, many a reputation has been damaged due to people making up tall stories. But sometimes, the rumors actually do end up checking out.
Someone asked, "What popular [rumor] in your school turned out to be true?" and the responses read like the script of a new season of Gossip Girl: a band teacher has an affair with a student, a basketball coach marries a girl on the team, a 12-year-old falls pregnant over the summer break. Here are some of the most shocking stories...
#21
That one of the seniors in my school wrote all over the men's room bathroom about bringing a b**b to school.
The b**b squad evacuated us all, dogs came and they found one in a random locker. It was absolutely nuts, kid got arrested two seats next to me in english class a couple of days later once they could prove he did it.
The b**b squad evacuated us all, dogs came and they found one in a random locker. It was absolutely nuts, kid got arrested two seats next to me in english class a couple of days later once they could prove he did it.
Report
8points
#22
That a 12-year-old 6th grader had gotten pregnant over summer break. Our Los Angeles county suburb (it was a small and far-separated from LA itself, see how large that county actually is on Google if you are unawares) was so scandalized by this “rumor” that a newspaper article came out with a cartoon drawing of a pregnant girl in a pretty little girl dress and ribbon in her hair — playing with dolls and kneeling next to a doll-house — accompanied the story about the “little girl who got pregnant and planned to keep the baby.” She was interviewed. I remember her name but it’s unnecessary— the whole town knew who it was.
What’s wild is that the kids in Jr. High actually had a baby shower for this 7th grader as she got close to full-term, and all brought in packs of diapers and formula for her on a designated day. With the teachers, principal, and probably the school district in support of this.
The year was 1984-1985.
What’s wild is that the kids in Jr. High actually had a baby shower for this 7th grader as she got close to full-term, and all brought in packs of diapers and formula for her on a designated day. With the teachers, principal, and probably the school district in support of this.
The year was 1984-1985.
Report
8points
#23
There was a rumour that a teacher had s*x with whole basketball team turns out it was half of the team. Worst part is her son was on the team. Her husband ended up divorcing her and her son left with his dad.
Report
8points
#24
Rumour was our new substitute English teacher was suspended years back for choking out a student.
By the end of the week with him he threw a table at a student and threatened to k**l him.
We were debriefed by our usual teacher when he came back. Was confirmed. We were not surprised.
(Edit: We were outright bad and did everything we could to test this rumour. Kids are terrible.)
(Edit-it: Given my guilt on receiving karma for being a terrible student, thought I'd give a quick shout out to all the teachers out there. You guys a f*****g champions that go way under appreciated and not just by your students. For all the youngins reading all these comments thinking 'that's f*****g hilarious/yeah sounds about right/what a psycho': adulting can be brutal and very few jobs are as challenging as fronting a room full of teenagers that will destroy you given the chance and being able to not let it get to you. We may have a greater level of responsibility, but we're still human.).
By the end of the week with him he threw a table at a student and threatened to k**l him.
We were debriefed by our usual teacher when he came back. Was confirmed. We were not surprised.
(Edit: We were outright bad and did everything we could to test this rumour. Kids are terrible.)
(Edit-it: Given my guilt on receiving karma for being a terrible student, thought I'd give a quick shout out to all the teachers out there. You guys a f*****g champions that go way under appreciated and not just by your students. For all the youngins reading all these comments thinking 'that's f*****g hilarious/yeah sounds about right/what a psycho': adulting can be brutal and very few jobs are as challenging as fronting a room full of teenagers that will destroy you given the chance and being able to not let it get to you. We may have a greater level of responsibility, but we're still human.).
Report
7points
#25
There was a family in my town that foster-to-adopted all their kids. Everyone had known one of their daughters since she was quite young and then they adopted another girl her age when we were in 8th grade. They did NOT get along. When the original girl developed epilepsy a few years later, her new sister claimed she was faking and everyone thought she was so mean and ostracized her.
Eventually, she had to fess up to faking the seizures all along when she signed up for basic training, which she never even completed. Unfortunately this was after we all graduated, so we never got to apologize to her sister :/.
Eventually, she had to fess up to faking the seizures all along when she signed up for basic training, which she never even completed. Unfortunately this was after we all graduated, so we never got to apologize to her sister :/.
7points
#26
There was a rumour that this kid helped m****r a guy during a robbery.
It was a small town, and the day after the robbery/m****r it seemed like *everyone* at school was talking about this kid being involved.
Someone else was convicted, an older former student, and the rumour sort of faded out. We all graduated, some of us moved away, and the rest of us avoided the psycho.
A decade or so later, he was arrested and convicted of the m****r when his accomplice flipped on him to get parole.
It was a small town, and the day after the robbery/m****r it seemed like *everyone* at school was talking about this kid being involved.
Someone else was convicted, an older former student, and the rumour sort of faded out. We all graduated, some of us moved away, and the rest of us avoided the psycho.
A decade or so later, he was arrested and convicted of the m****r when his accomplice flipped on him to get parole.
Report
7points
#27
I went to a Catholic school. The big rumour that I remember being true was that the middle-aged principal(late 40s, early 50s) was banging the MUCH younger(early 20s), super pretty art teacher while his wife was sick and dying from cancer.
We found it it was true when he suddenly got suspended and his wife divorced him. It was an ugly divorce. They had three kids and she was terminal, but still had the fight in her to leave him and fight for custody of her kids.
We found it it was true when he suddenly got suspended and his wife divorced him. It was an ugly divorce. They had three kids and she was terminal, but still had the fight in her to leave him and fight for custody of her kids.
Report
7points
#28
At my high school two kids who were cousins were dating. They always denied it but a lot of people still believed it. They did look weirdly similar, but a lot of people just chalked it up to coincidence.
About a year later they broke up and totally stopped interacting. Rumors started that their parents got involved or found out and shut it down, and it was again left to speculation.
At our five year reunion somebody who knew their family said that it turned out the rumor about them being cousins wasn't true. They were half siblings and didn't even know until their parents put it together one day.
So kind of true?
About a year later they broke up and totally stopped interacting. Rumors started that their parents got involved or found out and shut it down, and it was again left to speculation.
At our five year reunion somebody who knew their family said that it turned out the rumor about them being cousins wasn't true. They were half siblings and didn't even know until their parents put it together one day.
So kind of true?
7points
#29
My AP US Gov teacher was the daughter of Phil Jackson. We all believed it and during his last Lakers game her and her family was there and shown on screen. Got a screen shot of her at the game and shared with some friends. We all knew for sure then but we never really brought it up to be respectful as she didnt like the attention for it.
Report
6points
#30
That the creepy track coach/computer teacher with a Corvette and a hair transplant (worst case of midlife crisis I've ever personally seen), was banging an underage student.
Report
6points
#31
Two sports teachers were having an affair with each other, even though one of their spouses was also a sports teacher in the same school using the same dinky office. Rumor was confirmed when the two dudes had a fist fight in the basket ball court
6points
#32
"Dr" Palermo the band teacher never received his doctorate in music like he claimed. It was weird, he use to force all his students to address him as "Dr" but when he came back from his leave of absence we all called him by "Mr" like nothing happened.
Report
6points
#33
There was always a rumor that the head janitor was a huge pothead and would smoke with students in one of the storage sheds away from the main building. I always figured it was b******t until my friend CJ sent me a pic of him and the janitor smoking weed while surrounded by folding chairs.
5points
#34
Some girl had s*x with her half brother, we all thought it was rumour until she got drunk at a party and told everyone.
Report
5points
#35
Our freshman science teacher was a massive jerk to any girl, and would frequently throw the dress code book at girls for the slightest issue. Everyone said it was because he was pissed his daughter became a s******r... that ended up being true.
Report
5points
#36
Kinda a funny one. There was an ongoing rumor/joke that there was a pool on the roof of the gym. The rumor started because the swim team would do their stretches up there before heading to the actual pool across town. (Don't know why they did it up there)
The year that I graduated was also the last year of that gym because it was going to be demolished. During the last few weeks of school, the swim team actually snuck a small kiddy pool up there and left it there till the school officially closed for summer break.
I knew about it because I've got friends on the swim team.
The year that I graduated was also the last year of that gym because it was going to be demolished. During the last few weeks of school, the swim team actually snuck a small kiddy pool up there and left it there till the school officially closed for summer break.
I knew about it because I've got friends on the swim team.
Report
5points
#37
New physics teacher was a total creep. The old" spidey" sense kicked in for all of us. We could all tell something was wrong with the guy. Most of us dropped the class. Plus he sucked as a teacher and everyone was failing.
Years later i stumble across a news article saying the teacher was fired and arrested for video taping girls in the classroom through the use of camera hidden in the classroom. Mostly aimed at cleavage and upskirt/shorts shots. We knew he was a weirdo. Time always tells the tale.
Years later i stumble across a news article saying the teacher was fired and arrested for video taping girls in the classroom through the use of camera hidden in the classroom. Mostly aimed at cleavage and upskirt/shorts shots. We knew he was a weirdo. Time always tells the tale.
Report
5points
#38
There was a rumor that my high school health teacher got dunked on by Kobe Bryant when he was in high school. He played varsity basketball at my hs which is in the same district as the one that kobe went to. Whenever people brought it up in class he would deny it and get really mad. Sure enough someone found an old highlight tape on youtube of kobe from high school and there was my health teacher getting posterized by the legend himself.
Report
5points
#39
Beloved cousins who were apart of the popular group in school were rumored to have been sleeping together. Very few believed it. Couple years after graduation they announced on Facebook that they had a kid together.
Report
5points
#40
When I was a freshman some seniors were counterfeiting money. This was around 2004-05. They made some pretty convincing bills and spent them around town (including the school cafeteria).
That year I learned that the secret service has a counterfeit investigations department.
That year I learned that the secret service has a counterfeit investigations department.
Report
5points