Teacher pulled my daughter's hair, do I take it further?

[RingsLikeTinnitis]

So yesterday my daughter (14 year old. In year 10 at school) came home and told me the PE teacher pulled her hair. It was a supply teacher and is covering short term because the usual teacher has had surgery. Apparently she was "using my daughter as an example" of why they needed to put their hair up for PE. She had said something along the lines of "what happens if someone goes like this?" And then fully yanked my daughter's hair. It wasn't a gentle pull, it hurt her and she was quite upset about it.

Anyway I was picking her up early at 10 this morning for an appointment so I spoke to someone about it at the same time. The person I spoke to was the safeguarding lead and already knew about the incident because my daughter had reported it to another teacher and a few of the other students had also said something to other teachers too. She said that she will be having a strong word with this supply teacher and my daughter should come straight to her if she has any more concerns/problems with her. She's probably going to be teaching for the next couple of weeks.

Do you think you'd be happy with the schools response to this?

Yea i know how long winded it is to sack someone. When its a few weeks from incident to them not being there + announcement like that = 100% a sacking.

Its really really not hard to suss out when a teacher has been sacked.

The teacher in this case is a supply teacher so the supply teacher agency, not the school, is is the employer. The school can ask for an immediate replacement, but the agency must work with the school in managing the incident through the LADO etc.

I know

Thanks.

What was it you added to the thread, I missed it?

I disagree. Ì think that is an ill judged response. Do you think DD is at continued risk of harm from this teacher, given the complaint and likely reprimand? Do you think the teacher is likely to hurt DD in the future? If so, then this could happen at any point - in a corridor, in the hall, in the cafeteria etc - and it’s probably better to remove child from school completely, no?

Removing DD from PE alone creates drama, which is unnecessary in my view and the consequence of doing so punishes the daughter, whether that was the intention or not.

The teacher won’t do it again on this assignment and the chances are she won’t be invited back to cover at the school. I think that’s a result. The school has handled it well.

Exactly. That’s what happened. She worked at the school for 3 months. And was rumoured to have lost her job in the school before that.

I wouldn't want my child taught by someone who ever thought it was a good idea to pull their hair no matter the reason. If that caused 'drama', so be it.

But do you think DD is at risk of harm, which was your original reason for withdrawing from PE?

Yes, that's standard. We had a similar situation in a school where I worked. Teacher didn't lay hands on the pupil, but had grabbed the hood of the pupil's coat.

Parents were simply told that the teacher was no longer employed at the school.

Yes. I certainly wouldn't trust her with my child or trust that she wouldn't make such a poor judgement again.

Though, to be fair, thinking on it, I do think you have a point in removing from the school. I think if the school kept a teacher on, supply or not, after she had pulled a child's hair then I'd likely opt for a new school as I wouldn't trust the school any longer either.

Have you got any clarity yet @RingsLikeTinnitis ?

Presuming the teenager is happy, settled, got friends, enjoys school, doing well academically - what an insane over reaction that the teen will likely refuse point blank to.

I would have asked my daughter why she didn’t do it back to her.
And no I wouldn’t be happy with the schools response, I’d want reassurance that the teacher was not going to be around my daughter again

I would have asked my daughter why she didn’t do it back to her.

No you wouldn’t (hopefully)

I imagine that she'd be less happy, settled and enjoying school knowing that someone who hurt her was allowed to stay at school and may even feel uncomfortable around them.

I don't think not wanting my child at a school if they keep someone on who has hurt a child is an over reaction at all. Hopefully, it would never come to that though.

I absolutely would

Sure the Op can ask

but a teenager happy, settled, thriving academically, good group of mates? No, I can guarantee wouldn’t want to move schools over this!

I don't think it's a guarantee at all. Especially if they became unhappy at school due to it.

Yeah, this is the type of hysteria I am talking about.

Almost exclusively designed to make the upset parent feel more in control. Almost exclusively resulting in a negative consequence for the child.

You seem to have disregarded the context or are suggesting there was malice in the teachers actions, which DD does not allege at all. There is no suggestion of this by OP either.

I once elbowed a child in the face. It undoubtedly hurt the child. Child wasn’t removed from school. Didn’t lose my job.

Did you make the choice to elbow a child in the face to try and teach the class a lesson?

It was deliberate which is the only context I need.

Walking past and somehow catching her hair by accident so it pulls? Fair enough. Accidents happen.

Making the decision to pull a child's hair in an attempt to teach the class a lesson? What on earth was she thinking and even with no malice intended, it was incredibly poor judgement to the point I wouldn't want them around my child.

I don't think that's hysterical at all.

Not consciously, no.

The phrase, ‘Teach the class a lesson,’ implies that the teacher acted in retaliation? It suggests the teacher was upset about something and chose to pick on DD to make an example out of her. If this was the case, OP could have cause for taking it further.

But nothing in the OP suggests this was the case. That is your bias. Maybe I’ll read it again if I’ve missed something.

It says in the OP that the teacher said she used her daughter as an example as to what can happen if your hair isn't up in PE. So, teaching the class a lesson.