.jpg)
.jpg)
We never had one of these in the places I’ve worked, and I’m glad that was so.
I wasn’t worried about the staff as much, but the student teacher relationships could be a bit of a problem and I didn’t need a law which would have forced me to be involved in other people’s lives.
I basically felt that people should be able to take care of themselves without my interference. This is not about harassment, that is illegal and everyone now has laws related to that. These stories take place in the days just before the harassment laws went into effect. None of these stories have complaints from those directly involved; all complaints came from the outside.
In the first case a friend of mine called to complain that his daughter, one of our students, was going out with one of our teachers and didn’t I have a law preventing that? No, I didn’t, but I asked him for some more information.
His daughter was over 18 and he had no power in that situation. Could he tell me who it was because I didn’t know, and I needed more information in order to help him? He told me who it was and I explained that he was a technician, not a teacher, clearly not any different for him. I laughed (he did not like that) and asked him how old his daughter was. He told me she was 20. I quietly explained that the technician in question, a former student, was 22, and did he now have a problem? He sheepishly responded that it seemed to be OK. He had assumed the “teacher” was a guy in his 40’s.
The second, more difficult situation was from a father who was mad that his daughter was going out with a teacher who was way too old for her and he was angry and didn’t we have rules?
I assured him we didn’t, but asked him to fill me in so I could try and help.
I knew something about the situation already as the “couple” had been “going at it hot and heavy” in the school parking lot, not a good move. I had some information from people who had seen them. I knew this father had nothing to do with the girl and had just entered into the fray because he was angry when he heard about it, but was not in a healthy relationship with his own daughter.
I explained that his daughter was over 18 and he didn’t have a “leg to stand on” but that I would be happy to bring her in with the instructor to meet with him in my office. I knew this would never happen as he didn’t get along with his daughter.
He declined, but asked for my intervention. I said I would talk to them, which I did. I explained that they couldn’t “go at it” in the parking lot as it was causing trouble for lots of people, but they would have to find a more suitable place to do whatever they chose to do. I never brought up the fact that the first complaints came during her first summer class when she was 17, and that could have been a problem. They did stop the public display of affection and that was all I needed.
In the last case, I had gone out to lunch and was coming back to an “end of the year” party at school, and as I pulled into the parking lot, on the lawn, there was a couple rolling around with roving hands and passionate embraces. This was a bit lewd for outside, when I realized it was a married, female teacher with one of her young boy students.
What the hell, it was the last day of school!
Let ‘em eat cake!
I wasn’t worried about the staff as much, but the student teacher relationships could be a bit of a problem and I didn’t need a law which would have forced me to be involved in other people’s lives.
I basically felt that people should be able to take care of themselves without my interference. This is not about harassment, that is illegal and everyone now has laws related to that. These stories take place in the days just before the harassment laws went into effect. None of these stories have complaints from those directly involved; all complaints came from the outside.
In the first case a friend of mine called to complain that his daughter, one of our students, was going out with one of our teachers and didn’t I have a law preventing that? No, I didn’t, but I asked him for some more information.
His daughter was over 18 and he had no power in that situation. Could he tell me who it was because I didn’t know, and I needed more information in order to help him? He told me who it was and I explained that he was a technician, not a teacher, clearly not any different for him. I laughed (he did not like that) and asked him how old his daughter was. He told me she was 20. I quietly explained that the technician in question, a former student, was 22, and did he now have a problem? He sheepishly responded that it seemed to be OK. He had assumed the “teacher” was a guy in his 40’s.
The second, more difficult situation was from a father who was mad that his daughter was going out with a teacher who was way too old for her and he was angry and didn’t we have rules?
I assured him we didn’t, but asked him to fill me in so I could try and help.
I knew something about the situation already as the “couple” had been “going at it hot and heavy” in the school parking lot, not a good move. I had some information from people who had seen them. I knew this father had nothing to do with the girl and had just entered into the fray because he was angry when he heard about it, but was not in a healthy relationship with his own daughter.
I explained that his daughter was over 18 and he didn’t have a “leg to stand on” but that I would be happy to bring her in with the instructor to meet with him in my office. I knew this would never happen as he didn’t get along with his daughter.
He declined, but asked for my intervention. I said I would talk to them, which I did. I explained that they couldn’t “go at it” in the parking lot as it was causing trouble for lots of people, but they would have to find a more suitable place to do whatever they chose to do. I never brought up the fact that the first complaints came during her first summer class when she was 17, and that could have been a problem. They did stop the public display of affection and that was all I needed.
In the last case, I had gone out to lunch and was coming back to an “end of the year” party at school, and as I pulled into the parking lot, on the lawn, there was a couple rolling around with roving hands and passionate embraces. This was a bit lewd for outside, when I realized it was a married, female teacher with one of her young boy students.
What the hell, it was the last day of school!
Let ‘em eat cake!
did you stand, sit, lay down to watch???
ReplyDeleteBarb
None of these situations sound like harassment. Consensual, when the parties are of age, means they both consent, and parents are just out of the picture--miffed as they might be about that. I wish you'd told me about the couple on the lawn and the ones going at it in the car. I would have found reasons to spend much more time on campus.
ReplyDeleteI'm quick to add--none of these cases involved me! Oh, am I protesting too much?
ReplyDelete