Malaena Medford
Author
​
Picture this.
You live a very busy life because you work two full time jobs. You have a stressful career and you’re also a parent.
You’re having a typical hectic day on the job when you are interrupted by a phone call from your kid’s school. Your shock quickly turns into disappointment as they describe the incident.
Read this user-submitted story below.
​
I’m an ER nurse. We’re not allowed to keep our phones on us; they’re to be kept in our lockers. A call comes into hospital reception on a private line for me.
​
Phone: “This is [Teacher] from [School]. There’s been an incident involving [Daughter]. We need you to come in.”
​
Me: “Is she ill or injured? Can it wait until my shift is over in two hours?”
​
Phone: “[Daughter] has struck another pupil. We’ve been trying to call you for 45 minutes. It really is very serious.”
​
I go to the school and am ushered into the principal’s office. I see my daughter, a male teacher, a female counselor, the principal, a boy with blood around his nose and a red face, and his parents.
​
Principal: “Mrs. [My Name], how kind of you to FINALLY join us!”
​
Me: “Yeah, things get busy in ER. I’ve spent the last hour administering over 40 stitches to a seven-year-old who was beaten by his mother with a metal ladle and then I had to deal with the police regarding the matter. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
​
After watching him try to not act embarrassed, he tells me what has happened. The boy had twanged my daughter’s bra and she had punched him in the face twice. I got the impression they were more angry with my daughter than the boy.
​
Me: “Oh. And you want to know if I’m going to press charges against him for sexually assaulting my daughter and against the school for allowing him to do it?”
​
They all get jittery when I mention sexual assault and start speaking at once.
​
Teacher: “I don’t think it was that serious.”
​
Counselor: “Let’s not over-react.”
​
Principal: “I think you’re missing the point.”
​
The boy’s mother then starts crying. I turn to my daughter to find out what happened.
​
Daughter: “He kept pinging my bra. I asked him to stop but he didn’t, so I told Mr. [Teacher]. He told me to ‘ignore it.’ [Boy] did it again and undid my bra so I hit him. Then he stopped.”
​
I turn to the teacher.
​
Me: “You let him do this? Why didn’t you stop him? Come over here and let me touch the front of your trousers.”
​
Teacher: “What?! No!”
​
Me: “Does that seem inappropriate to you? Why don’t you go and pull on Mrs. [Counselor]’s bra right now. See how fun it is for her. Or on that boy’s mom’s bra. Or mine. You think just because they’re kids it’s fun?”
​
Principal: “Mrs. [My Name]. With all due respect, [Daughter] still beat another child.”
​
Me: “No. She defended herself against a sexual attack from another pupil. Look at them; He’s a foot taller than her and twice as heavy. How many times should she have let him touch her? If the person who was supposed to help and protect her in a classroom couldn’t be bothered what should she have done? He pulled her bra so hard it came undone.”
​
The boy’s mom is still crying and his dad looks both angry and embarrassed. The teacher won’t make eye contact with me. I look at the principal.
​
Me: “I’m taking her home. I think the boy has learned his lesson. And I hope nothing like this ever happens again, not only to [Daughter], but to any other girl at this school. You wouldn’t let him do it to a member of staff so what makes you think he can do it to a girl of 15 is beyond me. I will be reporting this to the superintendent. And if you—” *turning to the boy* “—EVER touch my daughter again I WILL have you arrested for sexual assault. Do you understand me?”
​
I was so angry I gathered my daughter’s things and left. I reported it to the superintendent, whom I know from Church (it’s a Catholic school), and was assured it would be strongly dealt with. They were equally as horrified and assured me they would contact the school. My daughter was put into a different class for that subject, away from the teacher and the boy.
​
​
​