Daughter's teacher acting like a jerk...?

Question

My 13 year old daughter's teacher is behaving terribly toward her.

My daughter is a very independent and quiet girl. She gets good grades and doesn't have emotional issues. However, I suppose it is because she is so quiet, her teacher has decided she must be "depressed". He has suggested counseling to her and has asked her if she cuts herself. This has made my daughter uncomfortable and she is very put off by him, probably adding to his suspicions, because...

Today, another student was acting very quiet, and her teacher asked, "What's the matter with you? Are you on drugs? You're acting like her", and he pointed to my daughter.

I made an appointment to talk with the principal on Tuesday. Is it a violation of her rights if they ask to see her arms?

She sleeps in shorts and is sitting next to me in a tank top right now, and I assure you there are no markings on her skin.

Answer 1

Is that not slander, personally speaking I would be making an appointment with a solicitor to sue for slander, even if your daughter is on drugs he had no right to broadcast it to the class.
Should he not have had a word with you regarding his concerns for her mental health?
You can refuse to allow them to examine your daughter.And people say bring back the belt
It must be awful for your daughter to be humiliated in this way.

Answer 2

Shouldn't you talk to the teacher first? If he realises that his attitude was inappropriate you give him a chance to change and everyone can move on. If not, you can still take things further but at list you would have done your best to resolve the issue in the most reasonable way. Getting a layer into the mix at such an early stage sounds like a layer advise.

Answer 3

some teachers just don't get enough "social skills" training. it was inappropriate of this teacher to point your daughter out in the presence of her peers. and also to think he has the education to diagnose a disorder in a student is not appropriate either. i hope you get some support from the principal, but that has not been my experience...they usually back their teachers, no matter what. you can try to transfer her out of his class, if this is an option. i would want to talk to this teacher face-to-face, with the principal in attendance!!
my daughter was made to feel so miserable by a few teachers in middle school and high school. the principal actually told her, in the presence of her friends, that she would be nothing but a burger flipper...if she even had the brain power to do that. i went to the superintendent over that one, but it devastated my daughter. she had just been diagnosed with rapid cycling bi-polar disorder, and had enough of her own stuff to deal with. she ended up going to an alternative school, where she got straight A's. she didn't lack any brain power, she had just lost all faith in teachers and the school system.
don't let them push you around, or push you away from the issues. very best of luck to you and your daughter!!

Answer 4

Sounds like this teacher is maybe just straight out of teacher training college and has been driven nuts by all the weird theories they get taught these days.

Be assertive with the principal. Insist that you won't put up with any more verbal abuse of your daughter. Insist that he/she pulls this teacher into line.

I've had a few run-ins with school heads and I've always found that they try to patronise you and make you feel like a kid again.

Don't let this happen - stick to your guns!

Good luck :-)

Answer 5

Meet with the principal and the teacher. Take your lawyer along to inform them that this WILL stop right now, or you will 1) pull your daughter out of that school and 2) sue them into the middle of next century.

Don't give these idiots one more minute of your time or your daughter's childhood.

Answer 6

I dont know about violation of rights, coz its just the arm they wanna peek at........Good thing you are ddressing the issue to the Principal. Been there and have come through as a student. Do everything possible to move the teacher out her class or you daughter out of his class................believe me, I still haven't come to terms with mathematics coz I spent 2 years under similar conditions and am around 30 years old now.

Answer 7

What an idiot ,it sound like HE needs counseling.

You dont need to convince us your daughter is not self harming any more than you need to convince them,Im pretty sure the principal wont ask to see her arms,there cant be 2 morons in the school

This need sorting out and quickly,before it puts her off going into classes,your doing the right thing nipping this in the bud.

Answer 8

are you sure there is nothing troubling her, or something she is not telling you? if you are then you should first talk to the school head, then make a complaint to the board of the school if you are not happy with the out come, make the point its for her sake and not yours. if a teacher is worried about a pupil they should take action in a private and discreet way. the teacher may have been trying to help but went about it the wrong way. about the drugs and pointing, id smack him.

Answer 9

The teacher is going to far, yeah maybe if she has only recently become quiet take her to one side and speak to her privately but he has no right to single her out in front of the class, I'd be going mad personally, and think you are right to be taking this up with the principle, if they don't help I'd take it further

Answer 10

As Freud put it, projection. He sounds like the one with the problems, ask to see wrists and if he wouldn't mind taking a drugs test.