Case Study: Impatient Parents 1

Case Study: Impatient Parents

Keisha Thompson
Grand Canyon University
EAD-519 Clinical Internship 1: Learner-Centered Leadership
Instructor: Dr. Middleton
September 5, 2023
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The harassment of her daughter, a sophomore, by other pupils was the topic of Mrs.

Lemming's visit this morning. When interacting with the office staff and the assistant principal,

Mrs. Lemming was short and irritated, which made it clear that she was displeased. During the

brief meeting, Mrs. Lemming told the assistant principal that over the previous week, calls and

messages had been coming from an unknown number. Due to their actions, including one kid

making a comment on how she was dressed, her daughter believed that these messages might be

from a boy in her geometry class. In addition to the bullying of her daughter, Mrs. Lemming

appeared to be upset and angry because she had emailed her daughter's geometry teacher the

night before and had not heard back. When asked if she would be willing to be in a meeting with

the geometry instructor, the student and assistant principal to discuss the matter, she said she was

not sure she could meet anytime soon.

Investigating the claims of harassment in the geometry class is one of the issues that

needs to be taken care of. Another is the claim that the geometry teacher ignored emails

submitted to her and what was going on in class. Another issue is that Mrs. Lemming needs time

to participate in the process of helping her daughter resolve the stated problem.

The stakeholders are the individuals who are part of the events that took place on school

premises. The stakeholders identified include the student who was harassed, the geometry

teacher, her classmate, the assistant principal, the principal, and the parents. The parents are key

stakeholders because one doesn’t want anything bad to happen to her child while at school and

the other needs to be informed and involved about allegations towards her son. In various ways,

both involved kids are stakeholders. The daughter is affected since she is the target of the

harassment, and her classmate is also affected because he is the harasser. When an incident

happens in a class the teacher becomes a stakeholder.

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“Harassment is a term often used interchangeably with bullying, but it has an established

history in civil rights law and policy that precedes the fledgling laws and developing policies

concerning bullying. U.S. civil rights laws are the culmination of many different advocacy

movements aimed at protecting specific classes of individuals who are vulnerable to

discrimination.” (Cornell & Limber, 2015, p 64). Some of these laws and policies are: 1. Title IX

of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in

educational institutions receiving federal funding, including public schools. This law also covers

harassment and sexual harassment in educational settings. 2. The Civil Rights Act of 1871

that allows parents to sue the school for violating their child’s constitutional right to equal

protection if the child is bullied because of their sex, disability, race, or national origin. 3. The

Florida Educational Equity Act that prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex,

national origin, age, disability, marital status, or sexual orientation in educational programs and

activities, including harassment. Each school district in Florida may have its own specific

policies and procedures related to student harassment. These policies often include definitions of

harassment, reporting procedures, and consequences for individuals found responsible for

harassment.

The possible solutions to resolve the issues are setting up a meeting with the teacher to

see whether the incident was appropriately documented. The administration could alter the

schedules of the two pupils in this situation so that they do not interact with one another.

Message the parents of the male students. Organize a meeting with all stakeholders involved.

The ideal solution for resolving this issue would be to interview all stakeholders

involved. I'd start by asking the female student to give her account of the incident to see whether

any of her answers correspond to that of her mother. Interviewing the young man who had been
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identified as the harasser and listening to his comments would be the next step. I'd visit the

geometry teacher after speaking with both pupils to see what perspective he might have on the

problem.

The action steps for implementing the solution would be to: 1. Ask the teacher if he was

aware of the situation. 2. Have a meeting with both pupils to hear both sides of the story. 3. Have

a meeting with the parents of the male student to keep them informed so nobody is taken by

surprise. 4. Have a meeting with administrators to discuss the findings and come up with a

solution. 5. Set up a meeting with Mrs. Lemming to discuss the findings and the actions that will

be taken. 6. Make sure all teachers are aware of the situation so they can report any persistent

bullying or harassment. 7.Offer a program on how bullying and harassment affect people.

Any allegations of harassment, bullying, or cyberbullying must be investigated by the

school as required by law. If the principal decides to forego further action it could have a variety

of possible repercussions. The mother may fight back and consider filing a lawsuit against the

school if she believes that her child's rights were infringed or that the school did not

appropriately address the issue.

It is critical to establish if there was harassment, even though there are many unknowable

aspects of this situation. The truth about what transpired in the classroom the day prior should be

clarified during a meeting with the teacher and students. But for both to feel comfortable and

heard, the administrator ought to meet with the students separately. In this situation, it's unclear

whether the mother is acting excessively by accusing the innocent boy or whether her daughter

was harassed. The principal must choose what actions to take after the investigation is finished.

To ensure the daughter's safety if the harassment is severe, safety measures must be taken. But to

protect the accused student from unfounded accusations, we must proceed carefully. According
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to the National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015, p11), leaders should “ensure

that each student is treated fairly, respectfully, and with an understanding of each student’s

culture and context.” Both students have rights, and they both need to be treated fairly; therefore,

the principal must use due vigilance and handle the situation in a fair and effective manner.

For students to learn, they must feel safe and secure. In such a case, time is crucial as

harassment is a major infraction. Proactive cooperation with the teacher and the school support

department is essential. The principal could ask the teacher to keep additional checks on the

students in her conversation. In a reasonable length of time, the inquiry must be finished, and an

action plan must be developed. The optimum legal and moral course of action for all parties

concerned must be determined and communicated to all stakeholders. The choice made in this

instance complies with professional ethics because it is the responsibility of the school's

administrator to guarantee that any suspected occurrences of harassment are thoroughly

examined. Working with all stakeholders involved in the case to identify the precise form of

harassment that occurred also fosters collaboration and confidence in this situation. The decision

to investigate the complaints of harassment also demonstrates that the administrator has high

standards for the institution and will not tolerate conduct like harassment of students as well as

employees.
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References

Cornell, D., & Limber, S. P. (2015). Law and policy on the concept of bullying at

school. American Psychologist, 70(4), 333–343. Retrieved from:

https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/02/ce-corner

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards for

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.