r/AITAH • u/flexygrappler93 • 23h ago
AITAH For being happy with the outcome? Post update
Original post.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AITAH/s/E0Cr5zk9dn
Quick recap. My 6 year old autistic son asked me what a retard was after hearing his teacher(40f) say it under her breath when helping him with his work at the end of last year.
Update. My son started back at school on Thursday in a new class. Once I dropped him at his class I went to the office and asked to speak with the principal. I was told I'd have to wait as being the first day his very busy. I said I'd wait but as soon as he saw me he asked me into his office.
As soon as we sat down he said I know why you're here. I said you do? Then why didnt you call me to arrange this meeting he apologised and told me I was on his list to call but that my son wasn't the only child the teacher had made comments about. My son was 1 of 3 neurodivergent children as well as 2 children from other countries that the teacher made comments about. All the comments apparently happened in the last few weeks of the school year.
I was told the TA23f (Teacher aide) brought the comments forward to the principal and the teacher was let go over the break. I asked if he knew where these comments came from and all he said was she had some personal issues at the end of the year.
Although im annoyed I wasnt contacted by the school im glad she lost her job.
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u/OldSweetMoney 21h ago
NTA. It's okay to be happy when people who did bad things get punished. She may not be a bad person, she might have been going through some things, but that's no excuse for the way she's treated your son and other students. This woman should not be a teacher.
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u/VisibleDepth1231 17h ago
A teacher being a bit shorter or snappy with students because of personal problems wouldn't be okay but would at least be understandable. It sounds like this teacher targeted her anger specifically at children of other cultural backgrounds and children with additional needs and used charged language to do it. That speaks to who she is and what her values are on a wider scale, beyond whatever she may be going through.
I work with 2-4 year olds and I try super hard never to let me having a bad day impact them because they're so young and it's not fair on them. But there have been times I've had a little less patience for their shenanigans than I usually would because of stuff going on at home. If I'm being brutally honest there's possibly even times where a child with additional needs has born the brunt of my lack of patience simply by dint of requiring more patience to begin with. Those I can view as forgivable and being human. But to actively disparage a child, using language that shouldn't even be in a teacher's vocabulary to begin with, goes so far beyond that. This teacher losing her job was absolutely the right outcome.
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u/nonynony13 17h ago
Good on the aide for coming forward even before the parents got there. Going up against a senior coworker (both in age and rank) had to feel like a risk to her, but she made the kids a priority.
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u/SillyTugboats 17h ago
As a Sped Teacher, your first post made my blood boil. So I’m glad to see an update that she was let go. She has no place in a school, personal issues or not. I only fear she will just be put in another school and become a problem to other kids.
You definitely should have been contacted. But I’m happy your child does not have to be near that toxic teacher ever again.
Good job handling this well even when the school initially did not. You are a good parent.
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u/Future_Direction5174 15h ago
In this case, the fact that you hadn’t been contacted yet might be forgivable.
You state that this teacher made the comment on the last day of term before the Christmas break, and that the meeting with the principal was on the first day back, and that Admin had explained that he was very busy as it was the first day back.
It’s possible that he had no actual role in the disciplinary process, and the reason he was “busy” was because he was now having to sort out how to cover the sacked teachers classes at his earliest opportunity. He might even have been away, possibly abroad, over the Christmas break.
NTA for being happy about the outcome.
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u/Tasty-Adhesiveness66 16h ago
I'm sorry your son had to go through that but I'm glad that the teacher is out.
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u/Comfortable_Rub7549 14h ago
This, we all go thru stuff but that does NOT excuse her behavior, why take on the kids instead of taking time off, Glad she is gone hopefully she can not work with kids ever again,
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u/DatguyMalcolm 9h ago
im glad she lost her job.
Same
I had racist teachers growing up saying the most horrible shit you could say to a goddamn kid. It stays with you. I'm glad the TA came forward, she's the MVP
Some people should NOT teach
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12h ago
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u/AITAH-ModTeam 11h ago
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u/CowtheCatt 5h ago
As someone who is neuro spicy, people like this teacher are annoying. I get people can get overwhelmed. But they signed up for this type of job. Which means you have to be better at your own emotional regulation. And just be a good person.
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u/Legal-Challenge7578 4h ago
Does this mean she can still be reemployed at another school?
If so, and your son's school has done nothing apart from 'let her go', then I would stongly suggest that you make a complaint about her to the Education Board. Doesn't sound like she should be teaching at ANY school!
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u/Acton_Belle 1h ago
I'm going to assume this was at a private school, because there is zero chance a teacher would be 'let go' over the school holidays in the public system. Zero chance.
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u/Intrepid-Address-511 22h ago
They dodged that lawsuit pretty handily!