High school environments historically were marked by toxic behaviors, including bullying from teachers and strict disciplinary measures. Corporal punishment was prevalent, as seen in practices that punished left-handed students for their natural tendencies. Gender discrimination in course selection forced students into mandatory classes against their interests. Excessive drinking and drug use were common at school events, with little oversight from adults. Dangerous behaviors, such as the making of pipe bombs by students, were often dismissed by authorities as typical teenage acts, reflecting a troubling attitude towards student safety.
Teachers openly made fun of students and called them fat, stupid, etc. At graduation practice, the vice principal announced that we were the worst class in recent memory, they couldn't wait for us to go, and none of us would ever amount to anything. The teachers who were there whooped and clapped in agreement.
My grandfather told me when he was in school in the '50s that teachers punished him for using his left hand and forced him to use his right hand. He said, 'My teachers would swat the back of my hand with a ruler to make me use my right hand.'
I (female) tried to take shop class instead of home economics. The shop teacher told me, 'I'd be happy to have you in my shop class, but you still have to take home ec because it's state law.' Sure enough, it really was state law in Florida. And no, I never got to take shop because I HAD to take home ec.
Boys used to make and set off pipe bombs. The school would be evacuated, and the fire department would be called, but everyone just rolled their eyes and said, 'Kids, what can you do? This is how they are.' It wasn't seen as a big deal.
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