Twelve teachers in one school were accused of child abuse in this one school year. All 12 were dismissed because there were either no proof of abuse or the child retracted on their statements. The only reason I learned this statistic was because I was one of the twelve. Does that make me a disciple along with the others who were damned? The rights of the teachers as American citizens were held in abeyance. According to the union, it is typical for teachers to be handled as guilty before being released as innocent. Basic American law is that a citizen is innocent until proven guilty. My American rights to know the facts of one’s accusation were not disclosed. I was not allowed to face my accusers. I still do not know how this accusation got to police level. Did the child’s father call it to the police or to the principal? I have no information. I have asked but my requests have resulted in no answer.
In my case, I was called into police interaction without having legal counsel provided. Nor was I informed that I could even ask for such representation. I knew I was innocent of charges but even the most honest statement can and is often twisted and misconstrued. Therefore, the union advises no statement is made without union or legal representation. However, caught in the moment of secrecy and power, I spilled my guts to the officer and wrote out my statement. This all took about ten to fifteen minutes. And then I returned to class, as if I had gone out for a sip of water.
Meanwhile, I fell apart. The shock of secret shuttling and the shock of being accused wrongfully and having no legal protection at that accusation took several hours to seep through my disbelief. The officer was indeed soft spoken and appeared sad to do this to me. He knew me and knew I was not an offender. However, a request for a child abuse investigation was set before him and he held up the rights of the child.
By the time I reached home, I was in full shock. Dry mouthed, rapid loss of weight, unable to eat, unable to breathe. I woke during the subsequent nights not being able to pull air through my lungs. It lasted moments but felt like I was about to die. I couldn’t pull air through. My lungs closed up. [A follow-up exam showed clear lungs.] Night after fitful, scary night, I stayed awake having felt my life was threatened. And indeed, it was. Many educators have had massive heart attacks and in some cases, full suicide. These were the innocent ones. Having been accused of child abuse as a long time educator was exactly what threatened my life. Not having my job jeopardizes my life. I would not be able to afford to live. Having my basic American rights removed with a child’s finger snap inside the school has put me in perpetual fear. Not having American rights meant that this type of accusation could repeat.
It didn’t take a full week to discharge and close my case. That’s how innocent I was. I was never informed when the case actually closed. Was it closed days earlier? It was when I refused to have the child’s sibling enter my class did the announcement come that my case was closed: let the child enter. But would this child learn? What did the child learn?
This false accusation hurt me. I am afraid of my students. When my young ones asked me for hugs, I shut down in terror. My brain chemistry flipped over from the amount of fear: my blood pressure shot up; I became physically damaged. I am under several doctors’ care to find medication to balance the losses of stabilizing chemical reactions in my brain. I am afraid to talk to children.
And I am supposed to allow this lying, abusing child back in my room. Where are my American rights?
The loss of American rights inside the school is a true fear for all teachers. No one goes into teaching thinking that their lives might evaporate with a child’s lying whim. Children do lie. Yes, every accusation must be followed up but there are ways to treat educators as colleagues and not targets for the children who are taught tools to abuse adults.
Teachers are the keepers of civilization. We teach the past to help us learn to not repeat mistakes. This rise on attacks on teachers is a new form of terrorism. The child who is not punished for lying can grow into that pathology we know as sociopaths. Not educating the child to face the shame of lying is the same as giving Class 101 on How to Become a Serial Abuser. This child has now learned there is a system in place that provides great outlet for children’s villainy. Examples of childhood villainy is usually contained in the games they play. Give them a real weapon to use and they will use it. These games are to be understood and handled by adults to show consequences of wrongdoings. This is where the human develops social norms. However, when the consequence factor is removed and the child is given a real tool of harm, the child will use it to everyone’s detriment. This is not the American way that I was raised with. Perhaps it is the America that is growing in our schools now.
Depriving the rights of a teacher to be innocent before their peers and to be able to face one’s accusers is a growing terror in our American schools. Without more protective measures, this is yet another erosion of civilization.