All for the supportive comments on my last post, i believe that any responsible adult would have done the same thing in those circumstances.
I have spent most of the day in meetings with a solicitor and the school board so feel a bit better about where i stand, on a legal front she has no basis to make a claim against me or the school as it can be proven that i acted on the childs best interest, she (the mother) would have to prove that coercian was used by me on the child. I will never moan about doing paperwork again (well at least for a few weeks) because its the form filling etc that i had to do at the time of the incident that has backed my actions up, i acted on the best interests of the child which has been drilled into me on every course i have taken.
Its shook me up a lot and made me question how i could have handled it differently, being more calm now i can have a certain amount of sympathy for the mother, not knowing what mental as well as physical abuse she sufferred at the hands of her (now ex) husband, but as always my responsibility and obligations will always be with the child.
There is nothing i can do now but wait to see if there is a response to the letter sent on my behalf from the solicitor and school board. Perhaps knowing that there is no valid cause for complaint the issue will dropped, there should not have been one in the first place, but i cant speak for her state of mind.
tori,
ReplyDeleteI hope the matter is resolved in your favor soon.
Hug,
joey
Thanks joey, i hope so too.
Deletex
I am glad you are getting all the support you need. Please let us know how it turns out.
ReplyDeleteI will, hopefully it wont drag on too long.
Deletexx
Fantastic weight of your shoulders. I am not sure which country you are in, but i am surprised the comments are centered around 'doing the right thing'. Where I am, legislation protects the child and inside that legislation certain occupations are identified as 'mandated notifiers'. I fall into one of these categories as do teachers and child care workers. We are protected from this sort of threat of litigious action under this legislation. In fact if we neglect to notify in a case such as you described we could be prosecuted for failing to do so under this same legislation (I think, though i am not a lawyer).
ReplyDeleteMandated Notifiers also undertake mandatory training as part of their obligations under the legislation. The judgement call is taken out of your hands in this way. I would be surprised if this sort of legislation did not exist where you are. But it is a very sad state of affairs that you had to consult a solictior!
I am very happy for you that the burden has been lifted a little for you...and that the family will get the help they need thanks to you.
L
Im in the UK, there is legislation in place to protect those that work with children which come with strict guidelines.
DeleteThe gist of her complaint is the circumstances of why i was alone with him and was my actions justified in asking him to remove his shirt, we have a 'Duty of Care' to the child and my only fault that when a child needs to bare their skin 'inappropriatley' 2 adults need to be present.
I was alone.
Thankfully i have the evidence in my favour that i am protected within the 'acceptable' boundries, but still the correct course of action would have been to ask another adult to step in to witness when i asked him to remove his shirt. I now clearly from experience understand having another adult present, to protect myself as well as the child.
As with any complaint it has to be taken seriously, i chose to consult a solicitor to protect myself and have a clearer understanding of where i stood, although the school support me i wanted someone fighting my corner.
Im confident it will come to nothing, but i have learnt from it.
x
am sure it will all work out for you tori, i would like to think so anyhow given what that poor kid was going through, and am so happy that the school board are backing your actions and supporting you through this.
ReplyDeleteWhat has your Master said about all of this?
please let us know how things turn out for you.
hugs
blossom x
Thanks blossom, i will update as soon as i know more, its going to be a waiting game i fear.
Deletexx
tori,
ReplyDeletePlease keep us all posted on this. Really feel badly for the child. Hopefully this whole thing will go away quickly and the child will be safe from future abuse.
Sending hugs,
mouse
Thankyou mouse, i will do when i know more, its in limbo at the moment, the child as far as im aware lives with an aunt with his sibling, and i assumed the mother as well, i really have no understanding after all this time why she is attempting action, my instinct says an attempt at financial gain which well the mind boggles!
Deletexx