One of the boys in my teenage son’s class was suspended for two days today. My son just can’t believe it…..
They were all messing around with one of the boys phones. It got passed around the class and finally ended up with the boy sitting next to my son. He decided to send a text to the boy’s mother saying “I’m gay”.
A little while later a text came back saying “OK, lets talk about it later”.
The entire class were in hysterics, including the boy who’s phone it was apparently. They just thought it was the funniest thing ever.
Today however, was a different matter. The boy who sent the text was called in to see the Headmaster and told that the mother had found the text deeply distressing and as a result not only had she had to leave work early, but she had a panic attack. The school consequently saw no alternative but to suspend him.
Not good, but a bit extreme don’t you think?
My son and his friends are thinking about starting a petition to say just that they think that attitude is verging on the homophobic.
janelle
March 12, 2010OTT, definitely. a lunch time detention or two would’ve done the job…i would’ve made them write essays about it….heh he heh….i think its quite funny…and anyway, what’s so terrible about being gay? xxx j
Family Affairs
March 12, 2010Well exactly. That’s my point. Funny though. Lx
Jay
March 12, 2010Wow that mother should be suspended from being a mother!
Family Affairs
March 12, 2010Well. Yes, there is that Lx
Shiny
March 12, 2010Oh, yes, I agree with Jay. I think they should start a petition for parents who misbehave, while they’re at it… snigger. Hmm, on second thoughts, maybe not xx
Family Affairs
March 12, 2010Yes, maybe not…..Lx
Working Mum
March 12, 2010Cyber bullying. Probably have to follow the school policy. Oh, the minefield of teenage misdemeanours!!
SusannahS
March 12, 2010I’m going to disagree(surprise, surprise, LOL)–it was disrespectful to the mother, regardless of her feelings on homosexuality and her degree of homophobia, and why on earth are they playing with a phone in class? It could also be construed as a form of bullying in that this generation seems to think ‘gay’ is one of the worst insults out there. As it happened on school grounds, the administration has every right to assign punishment so that kids learn there are consequences to their actions. If they were adults, that could be considered libel and the texter could be sued…
Family Affairs
March 12, 2010Well, yes, in fact you do have a point Susannah and Working Mum agrees with you too. I guess the point is it’s not really what they said, but that they did it in the first place Lx
Chic Mama
March 13, 2010I think it’s ridiculous and the woman obviously doesn’t know her son well enough….if I received a text like that I would immediately think it was a prank. I have to disagree with libel and cyber bullying x
Eclipse
March 14, 2010Umm its kinda funny, but they shouldn’t have been playing with the phone in class in the first place. While the punishment may be a bit OTT in this case, they need to learn that actions can have unintended consequences and that you have to be accountable and responsible for them. On the other hand the mother has lost any credibility she had now…
muummmmeeeeee......
March 16, 2010Ouch…that seems a bit extreme for a silly prank!