Should I go after this principal? heads up, all idiots will be banned.. except Greg

[V8 Beast]

Just make sure you are not taking her side as gospel, and not open to what might have actually happened. A 15 year old girl who gets in fights doesn't have a lot of credibility.

 

Proceed with caution.

 

When you read racist text messages, have the neighborhood kids say they saw her walking down the street, and the principal leaves a voicemail 30 minutes after the bus leaves... thats all I need to question whats going on.

 

Edit: No credibility??? Did you miss the part where I said the text read they were going to beat her up??? I take it you are trying to be helpful so I'll just leave it at that. Read a little deeper next time please. I am looking at it from all angles, thats why I'm on here.

Edited October 1, 2010 by V8 Beast

[V8 Beast]

request to meet the principal, let him know what your problem with him is, see what he does when the ball is in his court. if he immediately gets aggressive with you, then its time to think about broadening the scope of this.

 

This is more than likely what I'm going to do. Give him all the rope he needs and let him hang himself. He did so many things wrong after talking to my mother in law that he could seriously lose his job. Not sure if it needs to go that far but we'll let him decide.

[V8 Beast]

I breifly talked to an attorney who said it could be considered endangerment especially with the recent car related deaths in Hilliard. I figured I would not get a lawyers point of view from here so I asked my neighbor. It would never stick in court but verbiage like that goes a long way in the event that he's bullheaded. I'll change the title now before 15 other people say not to get a lawyer without reading the rest of the thread.

 

 

Greg, pics are on the way...

[Wheezle]

Being as sidewalks are not located on many of those roads he can't technically make her walk home. He either has to put her on school transportation or wait for the guardian to show up. Hopefully he no longer resides as a school administrator after this.

[V8 Beast]

Being as sidewalks are not located on many of those roads he can't technically make her walk home. He either has to put her on school transportation or wait for the guardian to show up. Hopefully he no longer resides as a school administrator after this.

 

There are no side walks past Hillard-Rome. At the same time I have not met him so I cant say I want his head on a platter just yet.

 

 

 

So what if he says she told him she wanted to walk home? What is she said my mom is outside? What responsibilty does he have at that point?

[Wheezle]

He cant let her walk home as he and the staff are ultimately responsible for her welfare while she is at the school. If she was held from the bus the school remains responsible for her welfare and the staff/administration need to make sure the guardian picks her up or has a school transport home. Ultimately they are responsible for her from the time she is picked up by the bus until she is dropped off at the bus stop.

[V8 Beast]

He cant let her walk home as he and the staff are ultimately responsible for her welfare while she is at the school. If she was held from the bus the school remains responsible for her welfare and the staff/administration need to make sure the guardian picks her up or has a school transport home. Ultimately they are responsible for her from the time she is picked up by the bus until she is dropped off at the bus stop.

 

Good point. I'm going to set up a meeting and simply ask him why he feels its ok to make a 15 year old, with no form of communication, walk 3 miles home without attempting to call all of the emergency contacts. That should be enough to get the ball rolling. Something tells me he'll give a speech about no tolerance to fighting and that he did call all of the numbers. Then I'll politely show him my call records (home and cell), and ask again why he thinks its ok. From there I will reference what was said above about it being his responsibility and ask the question AJ did about what if she didnt make it home. Finally I will reference the fact that Hilliard has stepped up traffic safety due to multiple fatal car accidents on Sciota Darby, point out the lack of sidewalks, and again his responsibility as a principal in the Hillard school district. When we get that part taken care of I'm going to see why her fight was a 10 day suspension (other girl got 5) while the other fight of the day resulted in two 5 day suspensions. Thats 3 people that were given 5 day suspensions while she was given 10 with possible expulsion. Its been confirmed through the other fighters families that they were given 5 days so I am curious to find out his reasoning behind that as well.

 

Thanks guys.

 

 

P.S. for those wondering she's grounded.

Edited October 1, 2010 by V8 Beast

[xlr8tn]

take her cell phone in and show him the texts......that goes a lot further these days than it used too due to all the bullying stuff.

[V8 Beast]

take her cell phone in and show him the texts......that goes a lot further these days than it used too due to all the bullying stuff.

 

I forgot that part. To his defense and my offense her phone was dead by the end of the school day. Adding usage controls as we speak to kill it from 7:30am-2:30pm... She had over 200 texts!!! The texts should be enough to make it a 5 day suspension... She must have beat the mess out of that girl to get 10 days :wow:

 

 

Note: we need a wow smiley

[xlr8tn]

I don't know your situation really but I can tell you how I would handle it if it were my kids.....that's all I can offer really so take it with a grain of salt. The first thing I would address is the fighting because that's something I would hold my kid accountable for. Todays fights aren't like they were when I was a kid.....people get shot or stabbed these days over a fight. No fight equals no problem with the principle.

The second thing is there would have to be some texts on the phone that I could read. If there are no texts on the phone I would have a major problem with that and wouldn't bother fighting about the suspension because you have no leg to stand on there.

Lastly, I would focus everything on the fact she had to walk home. "I couldn't get in touch with anyone" is not an acceptable excuse. My response would be "then it looks like you had a passenger to take home." She was wrong in fighting but that doesn't give him the right to put her life in danger. He's the adult in that situation and if he can't see he was wrong then he might be in the wrong profession.

At the end of the day with him I would just address the walk home because that's the issue that really matters. You might ask why the longer than usual suspension and ask to see the policy that sets suspension terms but I really doubt you're going to get very far with that. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Spidey2721]

do you still have the text messages? also, i thought schools were responsible for a child's safety and well being till they are back with their legal guardian or place of residence. in other words i thought it was illegal for a school official to leave a child walking from school.

[V8 Beast]

I don't know your situation really but I can tell you how I would handle it if it were my kids.....that's all I can offer really so take it with a grain of salt. The first thing I would address is the fighting because that's something I would hold my kid accountable for. Todays fights aren't like they were when I was a kid.....people get shot or stabbed these days over a fight. No fight equals no problem with the principle.

The second thing is there would have to be some texts on the phone that I could read. If there are no texts on the phone I would have a major problem with that and wouldn't bother fighting about the suspension because you have no leg to stand on there.

Lastly, I would focus everything on the fact she had to walk home. "I couldn't get in touch with anyone" is not an acceptable excuse. My response would be "then it looks like you had a passenger to take home." She was wrong in fighting but that doesn't give him the right to put her life in danger. He's the adult in that situation and if he can't see he was wrong then he might be in the wrong profession.

At the end of the day with him I would just address the walk home because that's the issue that really matters. You might ask why the longer than usual suspension and ask to see the policy that sets suspension terms but I really doubt you're going to get very far with that. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

I understand what you are saying but getting expelled doesnt matter??? Being fair in the way he punishes the students is not as important as the way it was handled but its still important. Its not going to be the focus but it will be addressed. Im bringing it all up because Im here. In there with him it will be taken up after we resolve the walking home matter. I think I may be misunderstanding each other a little.. It sounds like we are on the same page now that I look back over it....

[OMSRT8]

I still think that the biggest issue is the school's non-response to the digital harassment. That is a huge issue that is in the news right now. If there were racial slurs and threats of violence on the texts, there is no way they can choose to ignore that or put if off until an appointment can be made. Do you have evidence of the text messages?

 

Second issue is making her walk home. She made it home safe, so other than expressing your displeasure, I am not sure how much the school board will punish the principal for that. It's not right but I bet that he skates on being held responsible for that.

[Jizzle Juice]

Screw that shit. Go in guns a blazing be the "typical" black person on his ass. There's no reason at all that he should have grabbed her by the neck. The suspension is extreme in my eyes. But im kidding about go in guns a blazing lol. But do your research and and be the complete opposite of what he thinks you may do. Take him by surprise by doing your research once you start spitting section blah blah blah, that'll put him on the hot seat and he'll try and make sure it doesnt go past his office...or so i think

[Otis Nice]

He even mentioned to her that this isnt columbus public when yelling at her for 30 minutes before attempting to call her mom.

 

This is the exact reason why I hate Hilliard. SOME, not ALL, of the residents think they are superior to everyone else and far better off than they are. It's like they have Dublin envy.

[Big Steve]

You have alot of grounds to go on. In no way can he grasp a student on the neck! Second, he put her life in danger by sending her walking home. The comment about Columbus Public was WAAAYY out of line. You cannot pass judgement on someone due to that. You have so many angles you could use on that. It seems like he did nothing right. That is why they have policies! They allowed a physical altercation to happen and blame her for it? It is partially her fault for fighting and not finding another solution. I would have his job and her ass.

 

Matter of fact, I think I will. Tell her I will be over Sat with my belt!

[KennyFKINPowerz]

I fing hate principals. The principle at New Albany Middle school and I had it out several times over the last few years. I am so glad my son is in High School now. I hate that guy with the passion.

[SpaceGhost]

The only thing that has me thinking is you are not the parent. If you have been made a legal guardian, then OK. If not, I wonder if they will even speak to you and if they do you will get the speech of: "I can't speak to you about any this, I can only speak to the parents."

 

That being said I think I as a parent would be all over that guy like white on rice. It would definitely be the last time my daughter would EVER have to walk home. I really think it was not handled properly. At the very least a Hilliard police officer should have brought her home.

[SpaceGhost]

I fing hate principals. The principle at New Albany Middle school and I had it out several times over the last few years. I am so glad my son is in High School now. I hate that guy with the passion.

 

Great, can't wait....

 

Thanks for the heads up.

[greg1647545532]

How did the principal "make" her walk home? Did security escort her off school property? When I was in high school (hell, even elementary school) I was allowed to walk home whenever I wanted -- it wasn't the school's responsibility to make sure a parent/guardian picked me up or I took the bus. If I wanted to walk home I just left. I regularly walked home from school, and my high school was 2-3 miles on roads that sometimes didn't have sidewalks.

 

So did he say, "Go now, you cannot stay here anymore." And she said, "But it's dangerous out there!" and he cackled and sent her packing? Or did he say, "you're free to go now" and she said, "but I don't have a ride!" and he said "Guess it's gonna be a long walk then." Because I see nothing wrong with that. If she didn't feel safe walking home couldn't she have sat around in the lobby and waited?

 

 

Personally I don't see the whole walking home thing as an issue. I'm not sure I see the "ignored threats" as an issue either -- how many hours did she give the school to address it before she went and got in a fight over it? If she really felt threatened, I feel that she should have either called the cops, or sat around in the administration offices demanding to be protected. The way it played out it sounds like she was mad and went off looking for a fight. Which is understandable, but I'm not gonna fault the school for failing to protect her if she didn't do everything she could to protect herself.

 

The length of the punishment does seem egregious, so I'll give you points there, and I'm glad that you're not playing her out to be the victim. If the school hasn't seen the text messages yet then they need to, and hopefully they will result in more punishments being doled out in the other direction.

 

I think you're right not to go to the school board right away. See what the guy has to say and let everything sink in and see if you're still upset after the weekend.

[V8 Beast]

I'm making a deal about the walk based on the what if factor. At my company if I allow an employee to leave the property while he/she is scheduled to work the responsibility can fall on me if he gets hurt on the companies dime. So the simple act of allowing them or asking them to leave would result in corrective acion for me even if they didnt get hurt.

 

What I mean by he made her walk home is she told him she had to get hime to baby sit my kids and didnt know the neighborhood that well. He said you are not getting on the bus. Then basically said tough shit and told her to get out after her mom didnt call back in 15 minutes.

[greg1647545532]

But surely kids are allowed to walk home from school, no? I mean, your company might jail people in the workplace during work hours, but it was the end of the school day and she was released to get home by whatever means she wanted. I don't think there's a regulation saying kids can't leave school grounds on foot. Or maybe there is in Hilliard, I dunno.

 

Still, sounds like he said "get out" as in "get out of my office." She still made the decision that she needed to get home to babysit and decided that walking was the best way to do it. She could have called a cab, she could have taken COTA, she could have waited for someone to call back. Unless they escorted her off school property, how she got home was her own decision.

 

And what do you mean "You are not getting on that bus." I thought the bus had already left?

[HotCarl]

I agree with others i wouldnt go off on the guy. Come to him in a calm, competant tone and simply ask what his intentions were in this situation. Call him out on his faults and if he acts like an asshole back (as im sure most principles with a complex would do) inform him you'll be contacting his superior's.

 

He clearly fucked up by putting her safety in danger. It doesnt matter if she was in the wrong or that he was mad about the situation or that he just wanted to make it home in time to watch Oprah. But, aside from all of that I think the bigger issue is that he didnt address the racial issues with the other girl involved? Did she get in any sort of trouble at all? Good for your neice sticking up for herself.

[El Karacho1647545492]

How did the principal "make" her walk home? Did security escort her off school property? When I was in high school (hell, even elementary school) I was allowed to walk home whenever I wanted -- it wasn't the school's responsibility to make sure a parent/guardian picked me up or I took the bus. If I wanted to walk home I just left. I regularly walked home from school, and my high school was 2-3 miles on roads that sometimes didn't have sidewalks.

 

So did he say, "Go now, you cannot stay here anymore." And she said, "But it's dangerous out there!" and he cackled and sent her packing? Or did he say, "you're free to go now" and she said, "but I don't have a ride!" and he said "Guess it's gonna be a long walk then." Because I see nothing wrong with that. If she didn't feel safe walking home couldn't she have sat around in the lobby and waited?

 

 

Personally I don't see the whole walking home thing as an issue. I'm not sure I see the "ignored threats" as an issue either -- how many hours did she give the school to address it before she went and got in a fight over it? If she really felt threatened, I feel that she should have either called the cops, or sat around in the administration offices demanding to be protected. The way it played out it sounds like she was mad and went off looking for a fight. Which is understandable, but I'm not gonna fault the school for failing to protect her if she didn't do everything she could to protect herself.

 

The length of the punishment does seem egregious, so I'll give you points there, and I'm glad that you're not playing her out to be the victim. If the school hasn't seen the text messages yet then they need to, and hopefully they will result in more punishments being doled out in the other direction.

 

I think you're right not to go to the school board right away. See what the guy has to say and let everything sink in and see if you're still upset after the weekend.

 

+rep for a competent counterpoint, a rare instance on CR.

[Buck531]

What started the other girl to text your niece in the first place to say she wanted to beat her ass? I doubt it was a random "oh hey, I'm going to kick your ass today because I feel like it".. Did your niece start something that she's not telling you?