• Mr. Hillman was in a rock band.

True.  He was in a band approximately three years ago called Arzo. He’s been “in and out [of] bands” since high school and started playing drums at 13. At the age of 20-something, Hillman was offered a “roadie gig” on the rock band Tesla’s American tour. After a couple years as a drum technician and assistant stage manager, he left the Sacramento rock group and snared a new role in education as a social studies teacher.

• Class is cancelled if the teacher does not arrive in 15 minutes.

False. Eventually an administrator, campus monitor or substitute teacher will show up. This is true, however, at most colleges.

• Mr. Hillman wears long-sleeve shirts because he has a sleeve of tattoos.

Plausible. He wears sleeves because it’s cold, but does have a tattoo on his “left shoulder and arm”.

• Mr. Farmer broke his leg in a bar fight.

False. He cut his finger washing dishes, and told his fifth period AP Econ class he hurt it in a bar fight. He also told them how in high school he lied about breaking his leg, claiming he did so cliff jumping. Somehow, they synthesized the two together.

• Mr. Hillman promoted the arrival of 6 Venezuelan students on Yik Yak.

False.  Someone was impersonating him on Yik Yak. As Mr. Hillman unequivocally declared, “I don’t use Yik Yak”. Smart man.

• Dougherty is considering moving the end of first semester to before winter break.

True. The entire district is considering implementing a new schedule in which school starts in early August and ends in late May.

Have a school-appropriate rumor you want looked into? Email suggestions to [email protected].