Teen who stood up for trans student in tears after administrator locks him in room, calls cops

Trigger warning: This story contains themes of bullying and transphobia that some readers may find distressing

Two Black students were allegedly suspended from a Tennessee high school for standing up to those bullying a transwoman. One of the students posted a video of staff at school suspending him and refusing to talk to him. In the video, he explains how he stood up to those who were bullying the transwoman and deadnaming her. A second video shows the teen locked up inside the classroom with cops standing outside the school at Knoxville, Tennessee high school. Willum said the school had suspended him for using profanity while standing up for the trans, while the bullies faced no repercussions, reported LGBTQ Nation.

The video posted on TikTok has gone viral since garnering more than 694,000 views. TikTok user @willum4606 said he had stood up for a transwoman who was being bullied but the assistant principal suspended her for using profanity instead of holding the bullies accountable. Despite the student being incredibly calm and asking questions to the assistant principal labeled her combative and threatening. The assistant principal describes Willum as 'elevated' despite him speaking calmly to the administrator, who didn't respond to any of his questions. She also locked him in a room before called the cops. “I’m being suspended right now at Fulton High School in Knoxville, Tennessee because I stuck up for a trans woman,” Willum can be heard saying. “I stuck up for a trans woman, and she has the freaking police outside.”

“And the bullies are not facing any repercussions, but we are,” said Willum. “We are. We’re facing repercussions right now all because I stood up for what I believe in, and you know what I’m not ashamed.” After he was detained in a room, he asked, “Why am I getting suspended?”, “Why is this happening?” and “Why are we facing repercussions?” before accusing the school of not acting on transphobia. “So y’all just wanna focus on what people said instead of dealing with the problem at hand when people don’t feel safe in school and they literally threaten her life?” asked Willum. “This is what it feels like to be Black and be part of the LGBTQ+ community in Knoxville, Tennessee at a Knox County school. This raggedy ass school. I can’t f*cking stand this school.”

"She has two f*cking policemen outside because she said I was "threatening" and "being combative." I was not being combative at all. I was just asking a series of questions about what was going on and why I was facing punishment for standing up for someone who was getting bullied. She said I was using profanity, so what. What are you going to do about the actual bullies that were making fun of her in the hallway and humiliated her. What is going to happen to them? Nothing," she added.