new thread
First of all, thanks to everyone who wrote letters on my behalf. Unfortunately the school didn't make any reaction to them.
The following is a letter I'm thinking of sending. It is of protest to Coach Martin who is responsible for several of my problems. I would like any opinions on this letter. If I should correct it or if I should just scrap the entire thing. All opinions are welcomed.
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Not only is Head football coach Matt Martin a major liability to Granite City High School, he is also a prejudistic tyrant.
Please, if anyone can, tell me why this spiteful, prejudistic tyrant continues, and is allowed to continue, to treat anyone whose physical appearence he doesn't like as if they are the scum of the earth.
I have never had a problem with the staff in any of the Granite City schools, NEVER. But, Matt Martin who for some reason does not remember that his salary is paid for by our taxes. Please inform me who he thinks he is. What gives him the right to determine who is better than whom based solely on physical appearence?
I AM NOT the only student treated like this. There is quite a list of students who have reaped his heinous attitude.
I'm positive that some people will jump to this person's aid. But I'll say right now that I know he has personal issues, but deal with those at home not at work.
This is directed to him
Who do you think you are? Who or what gives you the right to say that you are better than anyone else.
Have you always been this mentally crippled? Have you always been such a dispicable person? Have you always treated people like this? It might explain a few things.
How is it that your job is protected in spite of you pethetic performance? How is it that you have managed to keep your job even after hitting a student last year? How is it that you believe you can treat students the way you do?
I have observed your behaviour and have come to the conclusion that you are undoubtedly unfit for teaching. Last year you hit a student at a charity event. With that temper of yours you are a major liability to the school. And people say that kids are immature, but you a full grown adult are worse than the students. When a kid passed gas in gym class on thursday, you pointed him out to the class and told him that he "shat his pants like an elementary school kid." On Friday you started yelling at people for having to explain what a bench and squat alternitive is. You should pack up you things and leave. You are unfit to teach.
Your attitude and behaviour is unacceptable. . Other students I have talked say they cringe when they are forced to talk to you. When they are told to talk to you they would rather be cut repeatedly with razor blades and rolled around in a vat of salt.
Does that make you feel bad? Not in the slightest, huh? That's what you want, fear and power. That's all you have. You're a sad, pathetic coward whose only joy and power is to intimidate students. You need to get a clue. You are not better then anyone else.
You are one pathetic, disgrace for a human being. You need to wake up and so do those who are responsible for permitting you to remain employed in our high school. Tax payers pay your salary. You do nothave any divine rights that make you special. You are the lowest scum of the planet. You are a tyrant whose reign must come to an end and soon!
I think the last paragraph should be dumped and it should not be so personally attacking against the person as this not the best approach. There are ways and means of saying something without attacking the person, the english language is wonderful for this.
As for this so called coach is, I bunked off physical education at school when ever I could.
John.B
I agree, You should not attack him so violently, try to bring it in in a nicer way. Wait a day and cool down a bit, then read it again and see how it makes you feel.
peace
clayton
And I agree as well.
Justin~
Anything in italics probably, in my opinion, shouldn't be in the letter. Anything attacking him, repetitive, or are just assumptions should be left out. No one will take it seriously and it'll just reflect negatively on you.
Now, if this person is really so horrible of a person, that it would warrant this, then something should be done.
I would collect a list of names of anyone that has been physically or mentally assaulted by him, and make sure they will all back you up on this.
Rethink the letter and don't let your personal feelings hold the pen. If you'd like some help, I can give it a shot, but it sounds like you've already taken that approach with MLHH.
Dear Lupi,
Reading this really bothers me. I am very sorry that you and others are being degraded by this obnoxious individual. Here's my view of the situation. Based on what you say, I assume Granite City High is a public school. All public schools are overseen by a community-elected school board. All public school teachers are employed by the state and/or by the municipality where the school is located. All public school teachers are bound by contract to act in an ethical and respectful manner to all students, colleagues, and supervisors. If this teacher is verbally degrading to the point of causing severe emotional distress, then it may be considered "child abuse" and possibly "malicious harassment". If he indeed struck a student causing any harm whatsoever, then it may be considered "assault and battery". These types of actions are illegal. DO NOT confront this teacher yourself, even with a letter. DO NOT even contact anyone at the school. GO DIRECTLY TO a responsible adult, such as a lawyer, for help and publicly EXPOSE HIM. Hit him right where it will hurt the most: IN A PUBLIC FORUM. During an open school board meeting, you can DOCUMENT his behavior FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD. You can insist that the school board take appropriate action. You're right. His salary is paid by the taxpayers. He is considered a "public servant". Everyone needs to see precisely what they're paying for. Be brave. It is high time that adults be held responsible for their despicable actions especially when they abuse children and young adults. I truly understand how you feel. I experienced the same abuse all throughout middle and high school. You have the most power in this situation: Get him!
Gandharva
Lupi,
You have some valid points, and I have read your story when you have posted it many times in the past here; but, if you make the mistake of sending that letter, you will be speaking to deaf ears, --- unless you know how to use the English language to your better advantage, and/or unless you take a crash-course in learning what is best for you to say on your own behalf, legally...
If I was to call you, "mentally crippled"; or refer to you as a, "pathetic coward"; or label you a, "disgrace for a human being"... How would you feel? How interested would you be in hearing me speak the rest of my mind, if I called you names like that, first?? There's an old saying that you need to think about utilizing: "you can catch flies better with honey than with vinegar!" Right now, you have written a letter to a fly, --- and you are describing, in great detail, how much vinegar you want to dump all over him!!!!
Name-calling accomplishes NOTHING, because it attacks the very individual that you want to reach and make listen to you. You are attacking this coach, PERSONALLY, --- which will make **you** look bad in the long run, not him!!!!
Several members have recommended taking your case to court, rather than you trying to fight this on your own. Lawyers are usually very smart, --- and, in addition, they know how to use the English language to their very best advantage, in order to win a case. Lawyers also are very smart about gathering all the FACTS, followed by verbally attacking the wrong-doer's ACTIONS (rather than attacking the wrong-doer himself, personally).
Dump the letter. Get a lawyer. And if you can't afford a lawyer, and/or you don't have quite enough of a case for a lawyer to be willing to accept your case, and/or you don't have enough support from your parents and/or other witnesses willing to step forward on your behalf... then have the humility to realize that you need professional help of SOME kind, --- maybe somebody else to write that letter for you?? But, whatever you decide to do, if you send off that letter as-is, you will greatly regret it, later. And I speak from experience, when it comes to the topic of letter-writing!
- Ken in San Francisco
I know I need professional help, but I cannot afford it. I am currently looking for lawyers who will take a case for the settlment.
I am so sorry that the support that you had from some of us did not bear fruit. The Principal certainly did not acknowledge my approach to him on your behalf. I endeavoured to make a very well reasoned effort asking him to be fully aware of your concerns and to offer you some well balanced mentoring. It appears not to have worked.
I would strongly advise you not to send that letter, it could backfire badly on you. As some other members have indicated, personal attacks do not work but stir up more aggression.
I do not know how the American educational system works but there must be a form of Governership to whom you could apply for support. Is there not within the school a student council or something?
Best wishes to you.
Jonathan Bournemouth UK
I was actually trying to stir up agression... Maybe that is a bad idea...
Yes, there is a student council. I'm friends with a few members. However, the school uses intimidation to ensure that nobody will speak against them.
I have to agree with Lupi here, that this dispute has progressed beyond the "being nice" stage. When that doesn't work, being more aggressive is the next level, and the one that must be employed.
Care must be taken that the aggression remain verbal, of course. If this is to come to blows, make sure, Lupi, that it is he that throws the first punch. You want to be in a position to successfully claim self-defense if it comes to that. He has been aggressive at the verbal harrassment of you, so don't be overly surprised if he carries that behavior pattern into the next level. In other words, watch your back.
The general approach you've taken so far - one of leaving all initiations of attacks to him and your just aggressively defending yourself, should serve you well. You don't want a wrestling match with him. You want him expelled from the high school.
Bill
Ya, I hope this doesn't sound to bad on my part, but if he hits me I'm hitting back. Please note that i would never start a fight, but I won't back down either.
you're right, I don't want a wrestling match with him, he could pull my hair. Anyway, I'm more of a boxer than a wrestler.
I want to keep this at a verbal level, but you're right, he will take it to the next level.
thank for the advice.
They have ganged up on you in a private place, so for one thing, you must never give them this opportunity again. I speak from experience on this - three faculty members cornered me in a dark hallway and roughed me up when I was in college.
If they want to "talk to you in private" or any similar excuse if offered, you must decline. This has gone beyond being a private spat. You will need witnesses, and you should draw them from YOUR peers, which is other students. If they want to show up with three people, you must refuse to meet with them until YOU have had time to gather three people. This will discourage the physical stuff.
Bill
Let me add...
For any encounter, the minimum number of other students to take with you must be "one". I had been asked by one faculty member to come down to the classroom building to talk to him, and the other two came out of the shadows after we were there. Had I taken someone with me, it all probably wouldn't have happened. No matter how strongly they suggest that they want to see you alone, and for whatever reason, you must decline.
A lot of teachers are leery of being alone with students and want to bring along other teachers as witnesses. You must be equally leery.
I don't mean to rain on your parade and I am all for fighting tough and even hopeless battles however I don't think your letter will help. I agree with the other replys to your post your tone is too harsh and too many personal attacks.
I sympathize with your situation and think they are assholes however they are holding all the high cards and as some of the older members of the board have already said in replys to previous posts you should think about other activities and let it go.
I know that's not what you want to hear but it's my opinion.
Kevin
Ya, I guess there were too many personal attacks... It is just so much fun...
I guess I'm just stubborn, but when people tell me to quit or tell me that I'm fighting a hopeless battle, it just makes me want to double my efforts.
Lupi,
Early on, we mentioned on here that disputes about hair length are seldom about fashion and are almost always about power. As this dispute has progressed, the veneer has been stripped off of it, and what we said is now blatantly obvious. He has gone all out to get you thrown out of the football team, and you are now reciprocating by pulling out all the stops to get him thrown out as well. He was out to get your position on the team, and now you're out to get his job. Well, one could say he is now reaping what he has sown; it is clear it was he who started this fight and then continued to re-attack and restart it, never you, so do hold your head high. And be proud you've been willing to defend yourself to a level few high school students would have the mettle to. You will make one hell of a football player. As such you know, at some point a defense must be turned into an offense, and you've waited until that is your only option to pursue it. You have been a perfect gentleman through all of this while he has not. You don't want to spoil that now, but there are gentlemanly ways to carry this fight to this next level.
There is a lot said by others about fairness and effectiveness, but this has now escalated into an all-out war. As the saying goes, "All is fair in love and war," but don't disregard the concern for effectiveness. In a war, you want to WIN. War is not nice; this has passed the point of being nice. But you do want to be effective. Effectiveness depends upon what you say and who you say it to.
Unlike some of the others, I don't fault you for saying what you've said about him, but there is a way to present it. Present your facts first. Name as many details (times, names of witnesses, etc.) and then put the opinions you draw from those facts and what action you want taken in your conclusion at the end. In other words, lay the groundwork for what you are going to say. That way, it will have a strong force and not be seen as a baseless mouthing off of opinion.
Second, you have to decide who you are going to say it to. Sending it to him of course is useless, so fergiddit. It needs to go to whoever you feel will be of help in furthering your effort. To his superior, such as the principal, to members of the school board, to the local newspaper if you want adult support, to other students if you want student support - those are ideas. In the case of members of the public (adults outside the school and students within it) you may want to formulate it as a petition. If the petition is to have him removed from his position at the high school, then make it clear that is what people are asking for when they sign it.
Also, if you can get several other students who also feel he's been abusive to join your effort, it will have a greater effect. They can join you as signers, or support you by letting facts about interactions with him go into the letter. If possible, name names, because doing so will make those facts speak much louder.
Good luck,
Bill
yours is definitly my favorite post so far... I will rewrite it and organize it a bt better. I have noticed that it does get repetitive and plan on changing that.
Okay, I will rewrite it. I can be more specific on the points I've mentioned, and can get a few more. At my mothers work, one of her coworkers has had sons go to the high school. She hates the school but cannot say anything to them because her husband works for the district. Tomorrow I will get all of her complaints and add them to mine and rewrite my letter from scratch. I will try to tone it down a notch even though I believe that (as does every student I've send a copy of it to proof read it and give me their opinions) he deserves every insult I have given him and more.
I want to get as much support fromeveryone possible, so I think I'll try most of what you've advised.
90% of the students I have talked to who have met him are against him, but nobody will stand against him. As I've said he intimidates everyone because he thinks he can gain their respect that way.
You have to send it to the PRINCIPAL AND SCHOOL BOARD....
with your name on it.... to make your point....
Dave
Something you write to get anger/frustration out of your system, then destroy rather than actually send. You felt better just writing it, putting your word to paper, but it is riddled with emotion, and not really effective in influencing change. You're likely to be labeled with the infamous "attitude problem" cop-out. Something I got labeled with for being a non-conformist and a boat-rocker. God forbid! If only I was a druggie with failing grades and a juvenile record instead of an A-B student with a medical excuse! But I digress...
Carol