the ongoing middle school saga
ramblings No Comments »Well, I just got back from the principal’s office at my oldest son’s middle school. Apparently my son’s classmate (let’s call him “J”) didn’t get the “message” the last go-round about taunting and physically abusing my son. “J” was at it again but this time he used a “plastic notebook divider” to scratch my son in the neck. WTF??? My son was simply minding his own business and this kid comes behind him to “cut him”. My son reacted by pushing him away which then made “J” shove back even harder. By that time, the math teacher noticed what was going on and sorted things out. The teacher told us that “J” was being dealt with but of course due to “policy” we can’t be told in what manner. Not satisfied with the lackluster response to my son’s situation, the wife and I went and spoke to the principal directly this morning about “J” and to be reassured that these things won’t happen again. I mean, who’s to say that the kid won’t have a razor in his hand the next time he comes at my son? Of course, the principal and assistant principal had tons of excuses and were skirting the issues but we had to stand our ground and make it clear that this sort of behavior should call for something more than a “slap on the wrist”. Obviously “J” feels he can still get away with harrassing my son even after previously being “talked to” by the school counselor and other staff members. Nothing’s getting through to this kid. We demanded that “J” be placed out of my son’s classes. The principal’s response was to offer to place OUR SON out of the classes shared with “J”. OK, again, WTF? Why should our son be forced to switch HIS schedule around when he DID NOTHING wrong??? Why do they not want to “inconvenience” this other boy instead? Is it because “J” is white and wealthy and our son is *asian*??? Do you think that if the tables were turned, our son would get the same amount of chances this white boy got? I made it clear to them that moving OUR SON would send the WRONG message to J and others like him. It would make it seem that the bully ultimately won and he ran the “weaker” one out of the class. That’s just “enabling” the bully even more. It’s doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see this but then why would the principal want us to do this?? That’s just screwed up and I told them that. If a kid needs to be moved out of the class, it’s “J” that needs to suffer the consequences. How dare they ask us to roll over and take it up the ass??