False accusations from students...

**Shiverman** · 02-02-2005, 10:16 PM

Okay, I thought I was having a really bad year, but then today happened. While I was teaching my reading groups this morning, the principal came in and said she had to talk to me. We went to her office, and there she explained to me that one of my students had just told her that I had said the 'F' word recently. I knew it was false, so naturally I denied it. What was really interesting, though, was that about two other students backed up this little girl's story. A couple others gave her uncertain accounts of what happened.

What bothered me so much about this was how my principal handled this. Now don't get me wrong -- to give her credit, she stood up for me as much as she could and really questioned the kids hard to make sure they were not saying this flippantly. However, the thing that didn't sit right with me at all was that she seemed to reject the possibility of several kids conspiring to do me harm; that prospect seemed out of the question to her. She had a hard time accepting the possibility that kids would go out of their way to hurt a teacher for the purposes of retaliation.

The whole matter concluded with her telling me to be careful and to be positive. I also sent her four additional students who I felt were more trustworthy so she could question them.

1.) Has anything like this happened to any of you, and
2.) If so, did you want to get out of teaching afterward, just like I feel right now?

**Bitsy Griffin** · 02-02-2005, 10:37 PM

I'm so sorry that this has happened to you.

I'm sure that most of us have been unjustly accused of something. I had one year when a single family leveled many false accusations my way. There was just enough fact in the stories that they were plausible. My principal stood behind me, but she did do some checking to make sure that her faith in me was justified.

I felt like quitting. I felt my reputation might be ruined. I wanted to quit. I cried an untold number of tears that year. BUT the next year was much, much better.

This is a long and twisted story that I've condensed into two short paragraphs for privacy's sake. These kind of things are usually long and twisted. I'm sure I don't have a clue as to all the things that motivated my poor little family.

I know you feel miserable now. Things will get better.

**Kelley_the_Gardener** · 02-03-2005, 11:43 AM

Nothing like that has ever happened to me, but similar things have happened to some colleagues.

During my 22 years in public ed, I've seen kids and parents go after teachers with false stories, and I've seen them take real stories to administrators that got swept under the rug. To be the target of false accusations is devastating, as is the experience of having your justified concerns for your child ignored.

In your position, I would make sure that I had an association rep with me for any more conversations about the problem.

I wish we had the resources to create and support an environment where teachers and parents have frequent, face to face conversations and where parents are welcome in the classroom at any point. Efforts to develop a working partnership with them would defuse a lot of potential conflict and distrust.

**billybob** · 02-12-2005, 10:50 PM

And I can say that nothing I have ever experienced hurts as much as being accused falsely, particularly when the people you work with, who are supposed to know you well, seem to doubt you.

Don't want to go into detail, but I've experience this too. Not recently, but in the distant past.

The truth will set you free. Kids can and do try to "get" teachers; so do some parents. I guess it just gives them a sense of power and control. With some (as was my case) it is a "sickness."

You hang in there.

**Olav** · 02-17-2005, 12:42 PM

Try the: I was assaulted by the student -thread on the TeachersLounge.

It is worth reading !
Olav

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False accusations from students...

Ah....been there and done that...

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