"I thought they would appreciate my sincerity and creativity"

As news of the ban spread, so too did the outrage. Tate’s posting on his school’s wall has led to hundreds of posts on a different type of wall. Friends have set up a Facebook page urging school officials to reconsider, where thousands are appealing on his behalf.

Rodrigues, also interviewed on TODAY, told Lauer that she appreciated Tate’s gesture.

“I thought it was really sweet. I never thought he would get in trouble, so when he actually told me was suspended, I thought he was joking.”