Teacher Reported me to CPS for a smelly kid who doesn't smell

[Toritha]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? VA
Ok so long story short, my son's 2nd grade teacher is allergic to cats, we have 2. Once i became aware of her allergy we made changes to my son's morning routine, no touching the cats before school, no sitting on the couch ( cat's like to sleep there) instead of laying his cloths out on the couch i hung them up for him on his headboard. Basically anything i could think of to help minimize the amount of cat hair and dander transfer on him.

Yet last week i get a phone call... your son smells please bring in clean cloths for him, if this continues there will be repercussions.... I'm thinking, i could have sworn he was wearing the clean cloths i set out for him, but i get clean cloths out of the dryer ( i had just finished a load) and brought them to him. he hands me the set he was wearing , i don't smell anything, i take a deep whiff of his hair and body while i give him a hug, he smells kinda fruity like the spray he uses in his hair to help keep it neat....

So i go in a meeting with the principal and the vice principal to tell them he does not smell, they retort with she is allergic to cats i tell them everything we are doing at home to try to help and if that is not enough then they need to move him to another teacher who is not allergic.

Instead she calls CPS on me. They come to my home to tell me I've been reported. I'm not sure what to do at this point he showers daily and uses deodorant and we use a shoe spray bc he has smelly feet. What happens now? What do i do? my knee jerk reaction is to go demand his removal from her class. The cps worker said she spoke to him at school and he was clean and did not smell, like his is every day despite what his teacher is asserting. what do i need to do to make this go away?

 

[mistoffolees]

If CPS says he doesn't have a problem, then you're OK on that end.

I would certainly meet with the Principal again and ask for the child to be moved to a different class.

 

[CreativeBlock]

I think what I don't understand is how simply having cats in the home would equate to the child being "smelly." Unless the child is getting "sprayed" by a male cat or being the one responsible for the litter box, it doesn't make sense to me ~ but then, I, too, am allergic to cats and only had one as a pet for 3 weeks when I was but 5 years old.

I think (if my supposition that owning a cat does not equate to being "smelly") that there might be other issues at play.

Perhaps Teacher is feeling vindictive against Junior because, at least for a length of time, Junior's association with said cat(s) caused Teacher's allergies to flare?

Perhaps it's a matter of chemistry (some *normal* body odors are offensive to some, but perfectly natural to others)?

Or perhaps Teacher has a yet undiagnosed neurological disorder? Many NDs can result in a malfunction of the olfactory senses.

Or perhaps Junior "dealt it" and Teacher "smelt it."

OP, do you feel that the report was somehow malicious or vindictive in nature? Just curious.

 

[justalayman]

first, it is not the parent's, teacher's, or school administration's problem that the teacher has allergies. It's great if the school can accommodate the teacher's problem but if they can't, well, the teacher needs to figure out how to deal with her problem.

Then, animals, especially cats, can impart an odor onto the contents and occupants of a house. Often times, the residents do not smell it as they have become desensitized or accustomed to the odor. Since the initial response from the CPS worker has told you your son does not stink, I suggest this is not the issue.

I suspect it is as simple as the teacher's allergies are affected. Oh well, tough stuff. The teacher needs to deal with that on their own.

I do think it is odd that a ~8 yo child is wearing deodorant though. There should be no need for a pre-pubescent child to be wearing deodorant. If he has smelly feet, you do need to deal with that though. Odoriferous feet are generally a sign of a problem. Either a fungal problem that should be dealt with or with perceived need of the use of a deodorant, there may be an underlying health issue that needs to be addressed by a doctor.

 

[CourtClerk]

I do think it is odd that a ~8 yo child is wearing deodorant though. There should be no need for a pre-pubescent child to be wearing deodorant.

I've got a couple of kids in my family that CLEARLY needed deodarant at age 8. I'm sensitive to smells, and what was coming from them was clearly must. Kids are different these days. May be something in the water, may be something in the food... but stuff is happening much sooner than it did when we grew up.

 

[justalayman]

I've got a couple of kids in my family that CLEARLY needed deodarant at age 8. I'm sensitive to smells, and what was coming from them was clearly must. Kids are different these days. May be something in the water, may be something in the food... but stuff is happening much sooner than it did when we grew up.

if that is the case, then it sounds like puberty is not far away. If that is the case, then the child should definitely be visiting a doctor to have that looked into. Early onset puberty can be caused by several different medical problems that should be investigated. If it is just early puberty, then that too should be known. It's hard enough at ~11-13. I cannot imagine an 8 yo having to deal with puberty issues.