‘SHE CHOSE TO USE IT’

Mom and Teachers Say They’re Proud of Girl Who Flipped Bird at School Anti-Mask Protesters

The photo of the teen raising a finger at the anti-maskers from inside her school bus inevitably went viral.

When 14-year-old Fiona Downey arrived at her Vermont high school last Friday, she was so exasperated by the sight of a mob of grown adults protesting against mask-wearing on campus that she had no choice but to flip the bird. The photo of the teen raising a finger at the anti-maskers from inside her school bus inevitably went viral—and now her mom and teachers have spoken about how proud they are. Meagan Downey told the Vermont alt-weekly Seven Days: “This has been particularly hard on adolescents... They’re coming of age, they’re old enough to see what’s happening, but they don’t have a lot of control. I think in that moment, my daughter did have control over what she could do with her hand, and she chose to use it.” Seven Days reported that a teacher at Champlain Valley Union High School also told Fiona they were proud of her, and Fiona said she’s enjoyed going viral. “People have offered to buy me creemees,” she said. “Someone else offered to buy me shoes. And people offered to give me scholarships—which, like, I’m fine with that. Love a scholarship.”