"These infant loungers are squarely not safe for infant sleep. They lead to unsafe sleep environments, suffocation hazards."
Former high school principal Gail Johnson is facing backlash after she posted a tweet saying that students shouldn’t be allowed to skip school in order to go on vacation.
“It’s 2025 and I actually have parents trying to defend pulling their child out of school for a vacation. I get a death. I get granny is turning 100 and lives out of state,” Johnson wrote via X on October 12. “But to get a cheaper vacation - nope. Can’t ever support that.”
Shortly after she shared the post, several social media users rushed to the comments section to slam Johnson’s stance. “The raw arrogance of this is amazing. They think they own your kids,” one person wrote, while another chimed in, “I will take my child out of school when I feel like it. He is not your child, tyrant.”
“You’re the reason why parents elect to homeschool. Making core memories with family is more important,” a third critic told Johnson.
The backlash continued as another person wrote, “Loving all the amazing comments that reveal you’re a heartless [bureaucrat] that really doesn’t care about kids at all.”
However, some people did take Johnson’s side. “Principal I totally support you here and am disappointed at how many, especially PARENTS, do not. This is a huge problem in our society!!” one social media user said.
Johnson directly responded to many of her critics via X and defended her stance. “I always support parent rights over anything as well. That doesn’t mean I have to support a decision they make. I don’t deny any decisions, but that doesn’t force me to agree,” she wrote to one critic.
As the post has continued to blow up, Johnson told Today.com on Monday, November 3, that the “reactions were unexpected to say the least.” She added that she "didn't expect so much anger” from people in the comments section.
“When a student misses a week of school, the rest of the class keeps moving forward,” she told the outlet. “It creates an added burden on the teacher, who must find time to help that student catch up while continuing to teach the other 28 kids.”
Johnson – who has since retired from her role as a principal – said that she understands “once-in-a-lifetime events” but believes students shouldn’t miss school because “there’s a sale on the airlines or at Disney.”
The former educator then explained that it is “chaotic and burdensome” for schools when students are absent.
Johnson went on to say that the debate points to the fact that enrolling children in public school is a choice that comes with shared responsibility from the parents.
“When parents choose public schools, they’re choosing to be part of a system with shared responsibilities,” she said. “Most schools send home a student code of conduct that parents have to sign and return, even if they don’t always read it. Schools depend on parents following these basic expectations so we can work together to give children the best education possible.”
