u/mrpurtle

I’m writing this to vent and as a sort of cautionary tale.

Until very recently, I served as an event coordinator for a local high school. It was a challenging role. Long hours, tight budgets, and the constant balancing act of creating engaging experiences while maintaining community standards. Despite the challenges, it was stable, respected work that I could be proud of.

That changed.

On a Friday afternoon, I was called into an urgent administrative meeting. No notice, no context. Within minutes, the tone became clear: “failure to properly vet external programming” and “authorizing inappropriate event content under misleading contractual terms.” When I asked for specifics, I was told the matter was “under review” and that details could not be disclosed further.

OK cool, love a mystery termination. Here’s what I can piece together:

Several months ago, I was approached with an opportunity to collaborate on what was presented as a “24-hour family-friendly livestream event” organized by the online personality PaymoneyWubby. The pitch emphasized interactive games, charity components with some religious elements as the event would be close to the holidays. Essentially a modern digital fundraiser with entertainment appeal. The contract, while dense, appeared standard at the time.

What unfolded during the event, however, deviated significantly from what had been described. Segments included controversial comedic elements, including a mock crucifixion bit, and appearances by online models from platforms that are, to put it mildly, not aligned with a family audience. The backlash was immediate and intense. Parents, faculty, and community members all demanding to know how such content had been approved.

And the answer, unfortunately, pointed back to me.

In reviewing the agreement post-incident, it’s clear the language allowed far more creative control than I had understood. What was framed as a structured, school-friendly collaboration turned out to be, effectively, carte blanche for content that I would never have knowingly authorized.

Around the same time, I had recently transitioned to reporting under a new administrative lead. Coincidentally, or perhaps not, this incident placed both my decision-making and my compensation under fresh scrutiny. Draw your own conclusions there.

So now, after years of careful planning, assemblies, fundraisers, and student events, I find myself out of a job. Labeled as someone who exercised poor judgment, when in reality I was outmaneuvered by a contract that did not reflect what was promised.

It’s a difficult position to be in. I take responsibility for what I signed, but I also can’t ignore how misleading the situation was from the outset.

For now, I’m regrouping, reassessing, and, above all, reading every line of every agreement like it’s a final exam.

Lesson learned. Stay safe out there and make sure you read everything before signing.