My neighbor is having problems with her 8 year old's school. She's in 3rd grade and has attended the school since kindergarten. Need legal advice PLEASE! WHat can be done?? Here's the background info:
1st grade: child comes home with lice. She is an only child and has contact with other children only at school. My neighbor treated her child and then notified the school so others could be checked too.. The next day the child goes to school. The school nurse checks out her hair and finds a lice egg. The nurse FREAKS out and calls my neighbor at work, basically saying she was a bad mother. The child's grandmother gets involved and almost brings the nurse to tears for embarrassing the child in front of her classmates. The nurse apologies..
2nd grade: Child is bullied relentless by 3 girls who "gang" up on her and keep others from being her friend. She is basically isolated from her classmates. My neighbor informs the principal and the teacher.
2006-09-01 17:56:33 · 17 answers · asked by molly m 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
She keeps at them to resolve the situation but to no avail. The child becomes depressed and no longer enjoys school. The teacher makes up excuses about it being out of her control because they (the school) have notified the parents of the girls and the girls are not being disciplined at home.. The vice principal promises action but never follows up. Only checks the child's progress once.. The child earned "tickets" to enter in a drawing to have lunch with the principal and won, but when lunch came around all the other winners names were called EXCEPT hers. She no longer participates. She still earns the "tickets" for being good but refuses to enter them in the drawing box...
2006-09-01 17:57:02 · update #1
3rd grade: When school started they (school employees) claimed that they believed the child was no longer going to attend the school. When asked why they said someone had sent back a survey letter marked with an X, stating that the child would attend a different school. When asked to show the paper, it only had an X in the box. No signature or ANY other info. Just a simple little penciled in X that ANYONE could have done. My neighbor asked why she wasn't notified by phone or mail. No logical answer. She asked if they thought it was strange that she didn't request the necessary transfer documents to enroll her child at another school if her child would no longer attend their school. Again no logical answer. My neighbor and her child were made to wait 3 HOURS to finally be allowed to "re" enroll in the same school she has been attending since kinder. The child actually had to sit and wait on the floor in her new school clothes since there were no available chairs for her.
2006-09-01 17:57:31 · update #2
Recent: Yesterday the child was singled out for a louse inspection which the school claimed was random. NO other child was screened in the ENTIRE school. My neighbor called up and asked who authorized this "random" screening which only included her child. The secretary claimed that another child was also checked. My neighbor's child said that she was the only one scheduled and the "other" child who was checked was a girl from her class who was only supposed to "escort" her to the nurse's office, but that she started scratching her head in front of the person doing the screening so that's why she was also checked. It was not the school nurse who did the inspection, she was out that day. My neighbor's child did not scratch her head in class at anytime or give any other implication that she might have lice.
2006-09-01 17:58:25 · update #3
The worst part is that the other students in her class were made aware of it and are now teasing and ostracizing her. This makes it the third year that this poor child has been ostracized by her peers. She was actually happy to be in third grade and not scared to go to school until this recent incident. She is once again a nervous wreck and depressed. It's soo sad to see this 8 year old go through this. It seems like the school is retaliating at the mother through the daughter. This 8yr old is shy, quiet, and sweet. She loves science and art. She used to love school but now she no longer wants to go. She feels like the principal and her teachers are out to get her.
2006-09-01 17:58:58 · update #4
The best advice for the mother and child is to take the child out of that school and enroll her in another school now and not to wait another minute either.
Don't even tell the principal or the teacher or anyone else what is going on because they might just cause the child even more embarrassment then she's already gone through and that dear child is far better off going to a school where humans teach then the zoo where she has been going to for 3 years already.
The principal and teachers are animals who shouldn't be allowed to even be near children at all. Look at what they are teaching the other children already, so treat one and other like dirt is something they should all be ashamed of too.
The mother has an important job now and it's to take that sweet little girl out of that school and enroll her in a school where she can be comfortable and not live in fear.
Thank you for your compassion of others.
2006-09-09 16:07:38 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Wow what a creepy school. My experience with school is all the teachers union are extremely powerful and they do whatever the hell they want. I won't get into details but my daughter who wouldn't hurt a flea if her life depended on it was bullied really badly at school I went in a filed a complaint. I spent the next month getting ridiculous phonecalls from the teacher making complaints about my daughter in retaliation.iation. She'd call me at work to complain that my daughter was a slob because she left a pop can on her desk after lunch and she suggested perhaps this was the type of thing that caused my daughter to be bullied. Of course the principals are as intimidated by the teachers union as the boards are so they just back up the teachers so I have just given up and count down the days until school is all done with. Good luch to your friend
2006-09-07 20:26:58 · answer #2 · answered by Mica 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi , Firstly, it is such a common thing to have lice at schools ,I dont know of any that havnt, The way they reacted to this was discriminating,! and not in the best interest of the child.
There are proceedures and proper conduct laws for any school
and if the teachers (and staff) of the school dont abide by these procedures ,you have every right as to write an official complaint to the education department.
This may help other children in the future.
The most important point of all this is your neibours Daughters Happiness, it sounds to me as though she is having a hard time at this school ,she is the one that has to face the other kids every day,the best thing would be for her to change schools , especially while she is still young, she will make new friends , have a great social life and be a happy little 8 yo...children addapt quickly to change , and she sounds like she will a have no problem finding new friends...
2006-09-06 09:47:42 · answer #3 · answered by doodah_di 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is extremely unwise for the mother to assume this problem will go away on it's own. She should go in as soon as possible and have a heart to heart with the schools principal, and the child's teacher.
She must explain the effect the bullying is having on her daughter; she should be assured that her daughter will not be singled out for anything embarrassing again;and that the girls bullying her daughter will be stopped.
They can be taught how it hurts to be singled out, shown better behavior, separated if necessary, and punished if all else fails.
It is helpful if the girls learn how much they have hurt the one girl. They may even choose to become her friend and protect her from others.
I know this kind of abuse can affect a person the rest of their life if nothing is done. Someone needs to be a hero for this child. Maybe it's you.
2006-09-07 21:50:36 · answer #4 · answered by Jann 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Unfortunately there are no legal ramifications for your neighbor to take. Schools are very good at covering their tracks and it'll turn into their word against hers. Being that the daughter had lice, it's documented and they'll claim their 2nd check was justified. At best, they may have to issue a formal letter of apology.
If I were your neighbor, I'd switch schools for my daughter. Especially with all that she has to suffer through. School is suppose to be fun for kids at her age. Once it stops being fun, a child will often stall in their learning abilities.
2006-09-02 01:06:58 · answer #5 · answered by Hollynfaith 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would switch schools, BUT, before I pulled her out I would call the local TV station and have them come out and do a story on this. That way there is alot of publicity about the school, and the community will know what is going on. Out of the whole school I'm sure she isn't the only person going through this and the publicity may cause someone else to step out and stand up for kids.
2006-09-09 22:05:25 · answer #6 · answered by pug hugger 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds familiar. The mother should make LOUD noise! Write a letter to the Editor of your local paper. Write to the school board, she has to go above the principals head. Mom needs to realize her tax money is paying his/her salary, the school staff works FOR her. My experience has been the old adage is true, the sqeaky wheel gets the grease. Tell the mom to not give up and document everything!
2006-09-02 01:13:42 · answer #7 · answered by Cinner 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Switch schools. Or consider a homeschool program. Obviously the school administrators aren't very supportive in situations as such these days.
I would consider homeschool PROGRAM. A program because I am homeschooled without a program it is it very lonely. So be sure she's in a program if you choose the route. She'll definately excell with her potential it sounds. GOOD LUCK!
2006-09-02 01:11:28 · answer #8 · answered by white tea 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
this happened to me. i was tortured for a few years because there was a rumor a new kid had lice. my school tried to keep it a secret from my parents, so they didn't even believe me for months and months!
girls are the most talented sadists... honestly things did not improve for me until i changed schools. children can be very mean to each other and there may be little the teachers can do to prevent this isolation they are inflicting on her. keep up her spirits as much as you can by keeping her motivated outside school... this too shall pass.
2006-09-02 01:06:05 · answer #9 · answered by uncle osbert 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Reeeaaallly need to consider changing schools. for whatever reason the administration in this one is just never going to sympathize.
I had a friend whose child got a 'bad reputation' in one school. He also became depressed, rebellious, hated school. When my friend changed schools - she had to move to another district - everything changed and now he's an honor student.
2006-09-02 01:05:05 · answer #10 · answered by shomechely 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋