WITNESS
This morning I was at the school with Jacob. He had speech and I had a meeting with Emily’s teacher. I noticed a commotion as we were walking in the door of the office. I saw the vice principal lead a little girl into the office and say “I rest my case.” I had no idea what was going on initially, and never got more than just a clue as to what was going on, but it has stayed with me all day.
Jake and I were a good bit early for his speech class because I was also scheduled to meet with Emily’s teacher. His break time happens to coincide with Jake’s speech class and it works out perfect for conferences and a chance to make sure things are going well with her in class. The office work hummed along with barely more than a whisper from any of the half dozen ladies working behind the desk but the tension was palpable. I had no idea what was going on.
Anyway, the little girl asked to use the phone to call her mother and the lady behind the desk (one of them) told her no. The little girl said, “Well if you’re not going to let me call my mama can I go back to class?” Again, the lady behind the desk said no.
So the little girl tried again and before she even spoke enough of the first word for me to understand what it was, the lady behind the desk raised her hand and said “Osha (that’s how it was pronounced at least, I’m sure I’m butchering the spelling), don’t make it any worse.”
By this time I’m confused and very interested in why the little girl was left in the office and not allowed to call home or go back to class. Nobody in the office seemed to want her to speak at all, in fact. Nobody in the office seemed to want to talk at all still. I guess the little girl must have figured that out too because she started crying. She pulled her shirt up over her face to allow herself a little privacy. After a few more minutes she asked once again to call her mom. And again the answer was no. Now the little girl was getting frustrated and she said “I just want to call my mama and tell her what happened. Mrs. Carraway was choking ME, I didn’t do anything and if you’re not going to let me use the phone, I want to go back to class.”
Now I don’t even pretend to know what transpired in that classroom. I can tell you though, that during the 25 minutes that I was there before meeting with Emily’s teacher initially, that little girl asked to use the phone probably 50 times if she asked once. She said repeatedly that the teacher had been choking her. I watched one girl (a trainee, probably a college student) actually laugh at her as the little girl begged to call her mom to tell her what had happened.
By the time I left the school after my meeting and Jacob’s class, that little girl was still sitting in the office asking to use the phone.
I’m sitting here now so disappointed in myself for not speaking up and insisting that the little girl be allowed to call home. According to the school directory we have, the little girl is in the 4th grade. Now I’m sitting here wondering seriously if I should call her mother. I’m not sure what I’d say, but she was treated so unfairly…and I saw it.
I can’t say this little girl did not do something to cause an altercation with the teacher, but the fact remains that she is what, about ten years old? She is a CHILD. She was obviously scared and I don’t think the school had any right to refuse to allow her to contact her mother. If what she said was true then…I don’t even know what to think about then. The way I see it that child had every right to call home. Whether she was or was not at fault, in trouble or whatever. She should have been allowed to contact her mother. The school should have been interested in contacting her mother. But they weren’t. They didn’t even want to talk above a whisper and that makes me think they were more interested in covering tracks. Lessening liability. Protecting someone.
And I sat and watched it all without saying a word. What a wuss.
My kids are sure that there is no wrong that can happen to them at school that I won’t be ready to suit up for battle over. They’re right. But I did nothing today while this little girl was refused a phone call, something even people who have been placed under arrest are allowed to have. I am this little girls witness. And I did nothing. And I feel like I did the little girl wrong.
The definition of the word must be - Witness: a person who sees something happen and does absolutely nothing to stop it.
This morning I was at the school with Jacob. He had speech and I had a meeting with Emily’s teacher. I noticed a commotion as we were walking in the door of the office. I saw the vice principal lead a little girl into the office and say “I rest my case.” I had no idea what was going on initially, and never got more than just a clue as to what was going on, but it has stayed with me all day.
Jake and I were a good bit early for his speech class because I was also scheduled to meet with Emily’s teacher. His break time happens to coincide with Jake’s speech class and it works out perfect for conferences and a chance to make sure things are going well with her in class. The office work hummed along with barely more than a whisper from any of the half dozen ladies working behind the desk but the tension was palpable. I had no idea what was going on.
Anyway, the little girl asked to use the phone to call her mother and the lady behind the desk (one of them) told her no. The little girl said, “Well if you’re not going to let me call my mama can I go back to class?” Again, the lady behind the desk said no.
So the little girl tried again and before she even spoke enough of the first word for me to understand what it was, the lady behind the desk raised her hand and said “Osha (that’s how it was pronounced at least, I’m sure I’m butchering the spelling), don’t make it any worse.”
By this time I’m confused and very interested in why the little girl was left in the office and not allowed to call home or go back to class. Nobody in the office seemed to want her to speak at all, in fact. Nobody in the office seemed to want to talk at all still. I guess the little girl must have figured that out too because she started crying. She pulled her shirt up over her face to allow herself a little privacy. After a few more minutes she asked once again to call her mom. And again the answer was no. Now the little girl was getting frustrated and she said “I just want to call my mama and tell her what happened. Mrs. Carraway was choking ME, I didn’t do anything and if you’re not going to let me use the phone, I want to go back to class.”
Now I don’t even pretend to know what transpired in that classroom. I can tell you though, that during the 25 minutes that I was there before meeting with Emily’s teacher initially, that little girl asked to use the phone probably 50 times if she asked once. She said repeatedly that the teacher had been choking her. I watched one girl (a trainee, probably a college student) actually laugh at her as the little girl begged to call her mom to tell her what had happened.
By the time I left the school after my meeting and Jacob’s class, that little girl was still sitting in the office asking to use the phone.
I’m sitting here now so disappointed in myself for not speaking up and insisting that the little girl be allowed to call home. According to the school directory we have, the little girl is in the 4th grade. Now I’m sitting here wondering seriously if I should call her mother. I’m not sure what I’d say, but she was treated so unfairly…and I saw it.
I can’t say this little girl did not do something to cause an altercation with the teacher, but the fact remains that she is what, about ten years old? She is a CHILD. She was obviously scared and I don’t think the school had any right to refuse to allow her to contact her mother. If what she said was true then…I don’t even know what to think about then. The way I see it that child had every right to call home. Whether she was or was not at fault, in trouble or whatever. She should have been allowed to contact her mother. The school should have been interested in contacting her mother. But they weren’t. They didn’t even want to talk above a whisper and that makes me think they were more interested in covering tracks. Lessening liability. Protecting someone.
And I sat and watched it all without saying a word. What a wuss.
My kids are sure that there is no wrong that can happen to them at school that I won’t be ready to suit up for battle over. They’re right. But I did nothing today while this little girl was refused a phone call, something even people who have been placed under arrest are allowed to have. I am this little girls witness. And I did nothing. And I feel like I did the little girl wrong.
The definition of the word must be - Witness: a person who sees something happen and does absolutely nothing to stop it.
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