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?

Yes her mates reported too

So the teacher was either trying to physically hurt the child or humiliate her.

Either is unacceptable.

YANBU, OP, I'd be taking this very much further if a teacher did this to my child. Not just because it was my child, either. That's assault, and it's not okay.

And what a great answer it was.

Bonkers. But also great.

This is the sort of thing that happened when I was at school in the 1980s but I'm really surprised to hear that a teacher would do that today. I wouldn't be happy with the school's response, I would expect that a teacher who physically assaults a child is removed. I would withdraw your daughter from her lessons until the regular teacher is back.

A number of students reported the incident to a number of teachers. The safeguarding lead clearly believed OP's daughter. Why assume the teacher had any substantially different version, or that it should be accepted if she does?

I'd follow it up with an email to school and also explain that your daughter won't be in PE as long as she remains there.

Some of the comments are wild. There is nothing to justify a teacher pulling a child's hair.

https://www.gov.uk/report-teacher-misconduct

Here you go, OP. Make a complaint to the school and then this.

I didn’t assume
I asked a question
I then explained to a post why the answer might be relevant
you seem to have got quite het up
so… you crack on

Is that eye roll because going up to someone and pulling their hair is not an assault, generally, or is it because it's just not an assault if an adult does it to a child?

As she didn't have to have her hair tied back, there was no need for anyone to be given that example. Particularly given that there is no legitimate reason for pulling hair in PE or anywhere else.

It sounds like what the teacher did was wrong but that the school are dealing with it appropriately. I’m not sure what more they could reasonably do?

It could be considered criminal assault.

What’s that got to do with this? You don’t go around pulling/yanking children’s hair as an adult teacher. It’s assault.

And I'm pointing out why your question remains irrelevant. That doesn't equate to being "het up". Your determination to put forward a fantasy version of events to try to excuse the teacher is getting just a tad silly.

Teacher here. Been doing supply too. This definitely an error of judgment on teacher's part. As for sending her back to the agency the school probably want to avoid this as they might not end up with a specialist. This could end up pupils having a classroom based lesson instead of a practical lesson.

A question is a question
the answer might be relevant
It wasn’t…. She’s a golden girl so all peachy

It might have been to demonstrate what could happen if her hair got caught in equipment maybe? So personally id have thought something like stringing her up by her hair on the gym bars and decapitating her Final Destination style with a flying hockey puck would have been more impactful. But maybe the teacher thought that was a bit too far?

Something to do with the DD being a serial fantasist. That poster thought op might have forgotten that crucial detail, so was just trying to help.

I’d personally report this to the police for the assault it clearly is!! Teachers know not to put their hands on students and certainly not to pull their hair!!!

Veteran teacher here. What the fuck. This is assault. How DARE the school think this is okay?! It’s a pretty fucking basic tenement of the job that we don’t intentionally hurt children. School should not have the teacher back again and supply agency should be informed.

Stop talking utter shite and now making passive aggressive comments about a child you don't even know being a "golden girl". It's fucking weird.

What would make it relevant? Can you elaborate? What is it that you are saying?

Honestly? I'd do what you've done (ie speak to the school) and tell my child to put their hair up for PE in future to prevent them getting hurt worse.

I imagine the school will be contacting the supply agency and asking for a different supply teacher. That’s what I would expect. Unless OP’s daughter is taking PE as a GCSE, I’d be telling the school she’s not going to be in a lesson with that teacher again.

Teachers shouldn't touch kids, end of. Its not the 1980s. Whether it hurt is irrelevant.

It was inappropriate and I'd expect something to be done about it.

But it's not 'bullying' ffs. Bullying is repeated and targeted behaviour. Using words out of context like this just dilutes their meaning (and will make the school less likely to listen to the OP if she describes it as 'bullying' - because it really isn't).