Hi! I’m an administrator in an elementary school that needs a little advise and some support about a messy situation. Due to some actions made by a parent, this year, my school received a student with a history of physically assaulting staff. The student assaulted me on two occasions. The first time, the student threw a hula hoop at me, tried to throw a chair at me and then beat me with a pool noodle. My principal did not uphold the discipline decision and the student never received a consequence.

The student also threatened a staff member by making a gun out of math manipulatives putting the makeshift gun up to the teacher’s head and saying, “Bam! While pretending to shoot the teacher. Multiple other incidents occurred to students and staff involving this student including him threatening to throw chairs at staff and physically harming other students. Mind you this student has a history of doing this since 2021.

Well, the last incident included this student trying to pull my lanyard from around my neck, kicking me, and then hitting and kicking me (this was after he splashed milk and water on student and staff in the cafeteria and pretending to shoot students with his banana as they ran away). The parents fought the suspension again and the student was back in the classroom the next day.

In addition, the student and parents accused me of pushing the student when the student rushed me and I put my arm out because I could not move away quick enough and the student bounced back. I have 2-3 witnesses that attest to this situation. Well, my principal called CPS on me and then told me I would have a memorandum placed in my file because of the incident.

I told my administrator that I would be seeking legal support because I have never been accused of such a thing and I would not allow that to be put in my file. So, I called to police and got a police report and then went to the court house to get a protective order and to sue the parents for defamation, because this was not the first time they pulled this move on staff before but I was going to make sure I was the last.

Since then I have been bullied and harassed by my school district and they are now firing me because they say my actions are unprofessional and excessive, but they could not provide me with an alternative for protecting myself and my staff. They also WROTE!!! That I should show more remorse for my actions because I made the student and the parents upset.

There is so much more to the story including the school district refusing to comply with subpoenas and lying about having received the document (their signature and the officers signature was filed in the court). I have a lawyer and I’m going to fight this but I just need my story out. I did this because the school district allowed the parents to place this student in a setting with no support and my staff did not feel safe, I did not feel safe and we had no options through the special education system and my principal would not implement discipline. My background is in special Ed and I understand when students become dysregulated but this student advised me the first time he hit me that he just doesn’t like authority and he doesn’t want to be in school.

I’m tired of asking people to come to work and get hurt. and I’m tired of getting hurt. We did not sign up for this. Not once has anyone checked in on me to see if I am ok except the ladies in the victim advocacy department at the DJJ. I’ve just been met with bullying and intimidation and now termination. Oh well, I guess I should have been more remorseful after being put in an unsafe situation and getting assaulted. So, am the crazy one? Is this just a part of the job and we have to deal with it? Thank you