Chiiiiiiiilllllllddddd! I just had to get extra, mega, funky on K's dean of students in the form of this very "stern" letter I just emailed to him and the principal:
Dear Mr. XXXX,
K brought to my attention yesterday's incident, in which she and some of her friends were reprimanded for laughing at and imitating the substitute math teacher's accent.
While I am appalled at her behavior, and find it completely unacceptable, inappropriate and disrespectful, I have some concerns with the level of punishment she is receiving and with you referring to K as "racist" and "prejudiced."
Correct me if I am wrong, but K has had an impeccable academic and behavioral record to date. This does not excuse her actions, but I honestly think that humiliating her in front of the school community by making her read an apology out loud, and using such harsh labels is an abuse of power and a waste of a teachable moment.
As her parents, her father and I have spoken with her about being disrespectful and "going along with the crowd," and assured her that we will not tolerate it. But please trust that we will also not allow any figure of authority at your institution to "make an example" of K, which will undoubtedly result in feelings of being ostracized.
As a parent and former educator, I'm of the opinion that reprimands should not just be punitive, but should be used an opportunity to counsel students on how to appropriately redirect their behaviors and make positive choices. We do not want to create a situation in which K no longer trusts or feels comfortable approaching an adult on campus if she happens to need support in the future.
I would appreciate a moment of your time to discuss this further and get the full story on what occurred and why this particular punishment was chosen.
Sincerely,
Your Worst Nightmare!!!! (okay, that's not how I signed it, but you get my point...)
He don't even know...he done fucked with the WRONG Dominican...inner peace be DAMNED!
*smooches...*
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I know it's strange
But my brain's gone really insane
And I'm off the chain
Sipping on a fifth of the Golden Grain
I feel like slappin a nigga today...