So, a little back story. My three girls go to a small public 6-12 school known for the quality of its education, 98% university acceptance rate, and a fair percent of kids getting into top schools. Eldest China Bambina is 17, will graduate this year and has gotten decent scholarships to the digital arts programs within the film schools at Loyola Marymount and Chapman university in the Hollywood area. sweet. She also started the LGBT club at school this year as a welcoming safe place. She came out as bi to her mother and I about two years ago. My reaction was “why did you take so long to tell us” and my wife’s reaction took 18 months to toleration. But I digress.
Middle girl (eldest twin) is a 7th grader with bright blue hair, an affinity for skateboards, snowboards, and need for attention. She’s very gradually learning the difference between good attention and bad attention (which in her case generally means being obnoxiously loud with extreme eye rolls meant to act as laser beams of disdane), BUT continues to both make progress and has toned down the 6th grade girl angst epidemic from last year.
8th grade boy has been calling middle girl a “lesbian” multiple times. Not sure for how long but this has been on-going. Middle girl reported to the PE teacher who did nothing. Middle girl finally told big sis today what’s been going on.
Big sis went into the admin office, loudly and innocently asked the entire room if this the right place to report bullying? The answer was normally see the VP but she’s not in right now so you can go see the principle.
Principle took this as both a teaching moment and hate speech. Memo’s have gone out to teachers and staff re-enforcing how to appropriately handle something like this raised by a student. The boy in question will have this on his permanent record and there is a plan in place to provide him the counseling he needs while remaining in school assuming no new infractions.
Big sis confronted the perp. “Are you x?” “No, no, not me, that’s some other kid.” “It’s okay, I’ve already reported you so back off from my little sister(s), I’ll see you in the counseling session.” “oh man, don’t report me, I already apologized to your sister and won’t do it again. Please, please please.”
I’ve been on a business trip to China for the past two weeks and got home last night. Bambina’s were like “no big deal, we handled it. Just lettin’ ya know Dad.”
Having once been an awkward 13 year old boy, I feel
a) glad he’s confronted, it’s on his record, and he can either take corrective action or get kicked out of this school. He’s got the freedom and power to decide his fate.
b) proud to see my eldest has a backbone of steel. She did this not only for her sister but as an example to show other kids in school that they too have the power to report a wrong.
c) happy to see my middle girl trusts her sister to right a wrong
d) Feel a bit for the perp. Looking back at my 13 year old self though mature eyes, I was a shit much of the time although that was not my intention. :smack: Didn’t deliberately mean to be but thought that I was just mirroring what I saw around me, and in a twisted teenage boy way somehow thought this was a proper way to “connect” with a girl you liked. Cringeworthy at best. Like I wrote earlier, I hope the perp takes this as a moment to change his life for the better, and there is a paper trail if he doesn’t.
Anyhoo, my little girls are growing up and I am proud of what they are turning into. 
