Whether the following story is authentic or not, the moral behind it is that we should always stand up for our family, even when the system seems to fail us and when everyone we try to reach out to about our problems falls on deaf ears, just like one mother did.
I’m an ER Nurse. We’re not allowed to keep our phones on us, they’re to be kept in our lockers. A call comes into hospital reception on a private line for me.
Phone: “This is (teacher) from (school). There’s been an incident involving (daughter). We need you to come in.”
Me: “Is she ill or injured? Can it wait until my shift is over in two hours?”
Phone: “Your daughter has struck another pupil. We’ve been trying to call you for 45 minutes. It really is very serious.”
I go to the school and am ushered into the principal’s office. I see my daughter, a male teacher, a female counselor, the principal, a boy with blood around his nose and a red face, and his parents.
Principal: “How kind of you to FINALLY join us!”
Me: “Yeah, things get busy in the ER. I’ve spent the last hour administering over 40 stitches to a seven-year-old who was beaten by his mother with a metal ladle and then I had to deal with the police regarding the matter. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
After watching him try to not act embarrassed, he tells me what has happened. The boy had twanged my daughter’s bra and she had punched him in the face twice. I got the impression they were more angry with my daughter than the boy.
Me: “Oh. And you want to know if I’m going to press charges against him for sexually assaulting my daughter and against the school for allowing him to do it?”
They all get jittery when I mention sexual assault and start speaking at once.
Teacher: “I don’t think it was that serious.”
Counselor: “Let’s not over-react.”
Principal: “I think you’re missing the point.”
