In the small town of Plymouth, Wisconsin, a mother’s frustration has sparked a firestorm that has got parents talking.
Billie Jean Brede took to Facebook with a raw, emotional post about her son, Thorne, who was suspended from Plymouth High School for saying, “The Eagles suck,” about the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team.
What should’ve been harmless sports banter turned ugly when another student, offended by the comment, allegedly assaulted Thorne with a push and two swings at his face.
Billie Jean is furious that her son, who she says showed restraint and didn’t fight back, is being punished while the other kid, referred to as Draco, seems to have faced little consequence.
The school called Thorne’s words bullying, slapped him with a two-day suspension, removed him from the football team, and added a mark to his record.
Now, Billie’s fighting back, and her story’s going viral.
“Apparently it’s ok for that kid to commit assault. 3 times. One push, and 2 attempted swings at my son’s face. The Plymouth WI school district blames my son who only said… a stupid NFL team sucks. Apparently that’s bullying.”
Via Facebook
Billie Jean’s words show her disbelief and anger.
She shared a shortened video clip of her confronting Vice Principal Andy Novack, right after she spoke with police about pressing charges against Draco for the assault.
In the video, her voice is thick with frustration as she challenges Novack’s decision to suspend Thorne.
She asks pointedly
“Thorne made fun of the Eagles, and then this kid assaulted him, put hands on him. That’s called assault, right?
Via Facebook
Novack insists Thorne instigated the incident by knowingly upsetting the other student, citing witness accounts and some “other context” he won’t share on camera.
He even admits that the investigation isn’t fully complete; details, such as whether Thorne’s defensive gesture occurred before or after the push, are unclear.
Yet, the suspension stands. “The investigation is completed sufficiently for me to believe… that Thorne was bullying that peer,” Novack says.
Billie Jean fires back, “Bullying? He didn’t call him a name. He didn’t make fun of his family. He said, ‘The Eagles suck.’”
“Words do not get to entice violence. Saying the Eagles suck does not get to entice violence. My son being suspended and missing that bus out there to play football because he said the Eagles suck is absolutely ridiculous.”
Via Facebook
The confrontation shows a bigger issue: where’s the line between free speech and school policies on bullying?
Wisconsin law defines bullying as repeated harmful behavior that creates an intimidating environment, but Billie Jean argues this was a one-time sports jab, not a pattern of harassment.
She Followed Up her Video with a Blistering Email to Novack, which she also Posted Online
In it, she demands hallway camera footage under Wisconsin’s open records law, specifically from where Draco allegedly waited for Thorne outside the bathroom and swung at him.
“Redact and blur faces as necessary please,” she writes, clearly building her case.
She’s adamant that her son is the victim and accuses the school of victim-blaming, comparing their logic to blaming a woman in an abusive relationship for “saying something she knew would upset her husband.”
It’s a chilling analogy. “I’m gravely scared this is the message you support and send into our children’s heads,” she adds.
“You do not get to twist an opinion on a football team into bullying. That is not the definition of bullying, nor a common sense conclusion. My son should not be made out to be the problem when hands were put on him for a simple verbal comment about a football team. How absolutely preposterous.”
Via Facebook
Billie Jean’s email doesn’t hold back.
She calls the school’s handling of the incident a legal, moral, and ethical failure, arguing that labeling Thorne’s comment as bullying is absurd when he was the one physically attacked.
She praises her son’s restraint, noting, “I fully believe this kid is lucky my son showed restraint after he was assaulted and that kid didn’t end up in a pile of goo on the floor.”
She’s not just upset, she’s ready to take action. “I will be looking further into this incident and exploring my options,” she vows, promising to protect her son and other kids from similar situations.
Additionally, her call to action is clear: she urges supporters to contact Plymouth High School at 920-892-2661 or email Novack at [email protected] to voice their outrage.
The story’s blowing up on social media, with parents flooding the school’s lines.
Billie Jean’s fight is about more than just her son; it’s about fairness, free speech, and protecting kids from violence, not punishing them for words.
Thorne’s at home, sitting out his suspension and missing football, but his mom’s battle is just beginning.
In a world where schools are quick to clamp down on words, Billie Jean’s asking a tricky question: since when does trash-talking a football team justify assault—or a suspension?
Plymouth High School may soon have to answer that in the court of public opinion, or maybe even a real one.
