Angry Principal Calls Cyberbullies ‘Pathetic Cowards’
— -- A Boston-area principal is taking on some of his own students who mocked classmates on Twitter.
Joshua Romano, the principal of Murdock Middle/High School in Winchendon, Massachusetts, spotted two Twitter accounts that made fun of students’ looks, sexual orientation and athletic ability.
“It was definitely shocking and I feel that my students here are better than that,” Romano told ABC News.
In a bid to get the message out that the tweets constituted unacceptable behavior, Romano sent the student body a stern email:
"To the pathetic cowards who chose to start and participate in this, you are warned. I am coming for you and I am furious,” he wrote.
Before Romano became the school’s principal, he served in the U.S. Army in Iraq.
His note added: “I have more respect for insurgents I fought in Iraq than I do for people behind this Twitter account."
Romano said he regretted making that comparison, but insisted he was fueled by anger.
"In retrospect, I will be more reflective about my email communications before I send it," Romano said.
Some of the tweets from the accounts in question are no longer visible, but some of the students who were targeted remember the pain.
"I like woke up to like four screenshots on my phone that morning," said one student.
"I thought it was disgusting," said another Murdock student.
Romano said he hopes all of his students remember the lesson.
"The message I wanted to get to everybody was that this isn't how we're going to do things," Romano said. "This is not acceptable behavior."
Romano also notified authorities and there is a chance some of the alleged cyberbullies could face harassment charges.
Some students have turned the tables on the cyberbullies with @MurdockCompliments, a new Twitter account showcasing positive messages about the school.
Among the tweets from this account is one praising Romano, whom they call "one in a million."
