LGBTQ issues and private school

[stealth2]

Thank you.

I think there is little they have proof of. The child was on an antidepressant prior to starting at our school. So how will they prove that bullying at our school made the child too depressed to attend school?

they are in clear violation of our attendance policy.

Wow. So the school not only has a problem with a LGBTQ+ student, but slso one with mental health issues? How many other students do you have on ADs? Seriously - lawyer. Now.

 

[stealth2]

Perhaps I am. But I don’t understand why, if the child is so miserable at our school, they would want to stay. Since they don’t seem inclined to leave voluntarily, we’re just trying to give them an opportunity to leave.

Because you are creating a hostile environment. Lawyer up. Now.

 

[LdiJ]

Perhaps I am. But I don’t understand why, if the child is so miserable at our school, they would want to stay. Since they don’t seem inclined to leave voluntarily, we’re just trying to give them an opportunity to leave.

I am sorry but that is not true at all. You are not trying to give them an opportunity to leave. You are trying find a way to force them to leave. So, what you are teaching the children in the school, is that it is ok to bully and force out someone who is different than you are, just because you don't want to deal with the differences. That is incredibly sad and will do all of the children harm in the long term. It is even sadder that you cannot see that.

 

[PrivateSchoolRocks]

Which would allow you to expel that student from your school if that's what you'd do for any other student with the same attendance problem. The school needs to be consistent on this. If the school would have promptly expelled other students for this, then it should do that here as well. However, that won't protect the school from any provable harm from the bullying that the school was in a position to fix while the student was there. Again, it'd be a very good idea for the school to see an attorney to make sure they get this right.

we don’t expel students mid semesters. We withhold class credit with the intention of the student repeating the grade level. We are trying to give this family an out, by giving the credit for the year of school work, in deference to the child’s excellent academic work, but also encouraging them to seek an opportunity elsewhere for next year.

 

[Ohiogal]

Perhaps I am. But I don’t understand why, if the child is so miserable at our school, they would want to stay. Since they don’t seem inclined to leave voluntarily, we’re just trying to give them an opportunity to leave.

You are such a bigoted bully. You want to force this child out. Which means you are pathetic. If you are a licensed counselor, I hope to god you lose your license. And if you aren't licensed, don't present yourself as educated and professional because you are not.

 

[stealth2]

Seriously - lawyer, now. You are digging the hole deeper and deeper with every post.

 

[quincy]

Thank you.

I think there is little they have proof of. The child was on an antidepressant prior to starting at our school. So how will they prove that bullying at our school made the child too depressed to attend school?

they are in clear violation of our attendance policy.

I recommend the school seek out the advice and direction from an attorney in Texas. It is likely that the first piece of advice any attorney will give you is to stop talking.

The reason behind the student’s absences will be looked at by any attorney hired by the parent(s) of transgender student. Your school might find it hard to defend an expulsion based on attendance if the school itself is the cause of the student absences.

 

[PrivateSchoolRocks]

You are such a bigoted bully. You want to force this child out. Which means you are pathetic. If you are a licensed counselor, I hope to god you lose your license. And if you aren't licensed, don't present yourself as educated and professional because you are not.

I am a liscensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage/family therapist.

and as an aside, our non-LGBTQ students have had complaints about this student. Several girls complained this child touched their hair without their consentand made them uncomfortable. So perhaps bullying goes both ways?

we tried to have a reasonable discussion with this child about keeping hands to one’s self, but rather than taking responsibility, the child vehemently denied touching anyone (though multiple girls came together to make a complaint) and then cried and had to be sent home. The child was absent (again!) the following day and the mother called, irate, accusing us of calling her child a predator because the child is trans … even though we said *nothing* of the kind.

anyhow, perhaps we dropped the ball when some of our students were unkind and we can take this as a lesson learned.

thank you for all of your opinions.

 

[stealth2]

I am a liscensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage/family therapist.

and as an aside, our non-LGBTQ students have had complaints about this student. Several girls complained this child touched their hair without their consentand made them uncomfortable. So perhaps bullying goes both ways?

we tried to have a reasonable discussion with this child about keeping hands to one’s self, but rather than taking responsibility, the child vehemently denied touching anyone (though multiple girls came together to make a complaint) and then cried and had to be sent home. The child was absent (again!) the following day and the mother called, irate, accusing us of calling her child a predator because the child is trans … even though we said *nothing* of the kind.

anyhow, perhaps we dropped the ball when some of our students were unkind and we can take this as a lesson learned.

thank you for all of your opinions.

STOP talking unless it's to a lawyer!

p.s, at least one of the responders is a lawyer.

 

[quincy]

I am a liscensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage/family therapist.

and as an aside, our non-LGBTQ students have had complaints about this student. Several girls complained this child touched their hair without their consentand made them uncomfortable. So perhaps bullying goes both ways?

we tried to have a reasonable discussion with this child about keeping hands to one’s self, but rather than taking responsibility, the child vehemently denied touching anyone (though multiple girls came together to make a complaint) and then cried and had to be sent home. The child was absent (again!) the following day and the mother called, irate, accusing us of calling her child a predator because the child is trans … even though we said *nothing* of the kind.

anyhow, perhaps we dropped the ball when some of our students were unkind and we can take this as a lesson learned.

thank you for all of your opinions.

I think you need to let the school’s attorney take over speaking for you and the school. You are not helping. You are making the school look worse and their inactions less defensible with every additional comment you make.

 

[PrivateSchoolRocks]

I think you need to let the school’s attorney take over speaking for you and the school. You are not helping. You are making the school look worse and their inactions less defensible with every additional comment you make.

Our school doesn’t have an attorney.

I was given the task to research the issue and, if necessary, find an attorney, but preferably find another solution.

I realize, as the school counselor, the onus was on me to handle this before it spiraled out of control. I failed all of our students, badly it seems.

 

[stealth2]

Our school doesn’t have an attorney.

I was given the task to research the issue and, if necessary, find an attorney, but preferably find another solution.

I realize, as the school counselor, the onus was on me to handle this before it spiraled out of control. I failed all of our students, badly it seems.

It's been made quite clear that the school needs to consult with an attorney, give how this situation has been (mis)handled.

 

[quincy]

Our school doesn’t have an attorney.

I was given the task to research the issue and, if necessary, find an attorney, but preferably find another solution.

I realize, as the school counselor, the onus was on me to handle this before it spiraled out of control. I failed all of our students, badly it seems.

I understood that your school doesn’t have an attorney. It needs one. You should not be a spokesperson for the school because you are, inadvertently, demonstrating with your comments that the school failed in its responsibility to protect all students.

 

[Ohiogal]

Are you sure the girls complaining actually were touched and they weren't just being difficult because they don't like "switcheroos" as you put it? This could be more bullying from them where they are basically making accusations against the only trans girl in school because hey, your staff doesn't care how they act and they won't be punished because, per you, they are only being "honest" with presenting their bigotry. After all, you didn't have a discussion with the bigots that were griping about switcheroos. So again, you are singling out the transstudent because of your own bigotry.

 

[AlmostThere]

just harmless, typical middle school stuff.

You clearly have not been reading about the effects of bullying on students. Bullying is not harmless. LBGQT students in particular are at risk. Start with Google.

The school is failing this student.
This school is failing every other student by not teaching tolerance. Those students will grow up and meet people from all walks of life and will not be know how to accept and interact with people who are different.
This school is failing its staff by not requiring them to be tolerant. These teachers are not being asked to grow as people and educators.

You are far more interested in finding ways to cover up your and the school's bigoted shortcomings than educating and finding ways to help and educate this student.