MoCo schools using false abuse reports to get rid of kids (yard, people)

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by vanyali

1 - no, my kid didn't say that
2 - no, sitting down after you skin your knee at recess is not a sign of abuse
3 - there is always an obligation on people, even teachers, to tell the truth to law enforcement, and to actually have a good faith, reasonable belief that accusations they make are true. If someone is telling you otherwise, they are wrong and have to be corrected.

You are obviously a MD teacher, and what you are saying seems to represent teachers' views in this state. You should be aware that no one outside of the school system buys what you are saying. There are mandatory reporting laws in lots of states. They co-exist with criminal penalties for abusing the reporting system that do apply to mandatory reporters. Mandatory reporting laws are not a free pass for harassing people you don't like.

Mandatory reporting laws don't shield you from liability for harassing people . If you're doing this to people, you will get complaints in your file, and you will eventually get sued, as will your school system.

Incorrect as usual. The MD reporting statutes shield teachers from the type of harrassment you're planning. We are required to report. I usually have one a year in the high school. Now you are correct that a skinned knee isn't a sign of abuse. Lying down when it happens is, typical protective reaction of physically abused individuals. That was the trigger.

Whether you like the laws or not isn't the question here, the fact that you were reported is what is bothering you. You'll have to prove bad faith. Good luck with that from the descriptions you've given.

Yet another person who asks a question and doesn't like the answers.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by JEB77

The OP is going through what sounds like a nightmare, and your responses consist of (1) hyper-technical interpretations of school requirements that betray a stunning lack of common sense, and (2) snarky comments about how nothing bad can ever happen in Montgomery County schools.

One does not need to disrespect either teachers or schools generally to (eventually) come across some total crackpots in local public school systems. You come across like a union representative for a teacher's union, rather than as a concerned parent or educator.

Neither of us have all the facts, but I'm hoping the OP is portraying the facts accurately and, if so, her child's teacher ultimately is sent packing.

Ignoring those "hyper-technical interpretations" gets teachers suspended, fired and sued every year in every state.

Far from believing that "nothing bad ever happens in Montgomery County schools" I'm one of the few people here that ever criticizes them. They have a PR machine second to none in the state that successfully covers over every problem and has the news outlets ignoring the real problems.

Keep hoping the OP is portraying the facts accurately while you check out the thread I linked to earlier. Same thing, different approach as this one. That will clear up why I responded the way I did.

[vanyali]

Where did Jeb77's reply go? Was that in another thread?

This CPS report against me came after two months of me trying to straighten out the EMT business that I asked about in the earlier thread. I have something like 50 emails going back and forth where I try to get the school to talk to me, tell me why they wanted to do an EMT at all, and asking what was going on. The report came as I had started pushing for a face to face meeting with the teacher and principal, since the teacher has been refusing to even answer an email (let alone a phone call) the whole time. She got mad that I showed up in her classroom after school one day I think.

Since these people wouldn't talk to me, and I had to communicate through email, I have everything documented really well.

But, back to the point of this thread, I'm looking for other parents who have been attacked like this, so we can band together and get this stopped. You can message me privately, no need to respond publicly in this thread.

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by North Beach Person

Ignoring those "hyper-technical interpretations" gets teachers suspended, fired and sued every year in every state.

Far from believing that "nothing bad ever happens in Montgomery County schools" I'm one of the few people here that ever criticizes them. They have a PR machine second to none in the state that successfully covers over every problem and has the news outlets ignoring the real problems.

Keep hoping the OP is portraying the facts accurately while you check out the thread I linked to earlier. Same thing, different approach as this one. That will clear up why I responded the way I did.

What's the problem you have with the other thread? It's the same dispute. The CPS report is retaliation for me calling the teacher on her attempts to thwart procedure and misuse the EMT process to cover her ass at the expense of the kids in the class, including my own.

And no, failing to make up false reports of child abuse is not getting teachers sued all over the country. That's ridiculous. Maryland doesn't even have a penalty for mandatory reporters who fail to report something that someone later decides they should have reported. Even Virginia at least imposes a fine, though it's just a few hundred bucks.

[btsilver]

Soooo what school was this at?

[qjbusmaster]

Originally Posted by vanyali

This year, my daughter's kindergarten teacher made a false report to Child Protective Services against us to get us to pull our daughter out of the school and therefore out of her class. I found out this teacher has done this to at least one other kid in the same class this year, and have heard of other people that the school has done this to in other years (mainly to minority families). The principal seems to be in on it too.

It goes without saying, all of these CPS reports were swiftly closed with no findings of any abuse, neglect or mental cruelty whatsoever; and the reports were clearly retaliatory as they came during disputes between the teacher and the parents.

I'm complaining to the MCPS Board of Education on my own, but predictably, no one has taken any action yet.

So I'm wondering, has this happened to any of you at public schools in Maryland?

Do you want to complain together? I think it'll be harder for authorities to ignore the issue the more people band together to complain.

This happened to my family at Somerset Elementary, but I think it would be helpful for parents to come forward from whatever schools are doing this.

Thank you.

take THEM TO COURT SUE THE **** OUTTA THEM THEN SEND UR KID TO PRIVATE SCHOOL!!!!

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by btsilver

Soooo what school was this at?

Somerset Elementary School, near Chevy Chase.

[vanyali]

Originally Posted by qjbusmaster

take THEM TO COURT SUE THE **** OUTTA THEM THEN SEND UR KID TO PRIVATE SCHOOL!!!!

Yes, I pulled my kids out right away, which is exactly why they did this. This is how this school gets rid of people.

It's very telling that these abuse reports only happen to parents who question the school, and only during a dispute. That is, in fact, evidence of bad faith, and removes the legal protection that teachers usually have from getting sued when they call in abuse reports to CPS.

So, yes, there's a good chance I'm going to sue this teacher, and this principal, as well as file complaints against them with MCPS.

But I'm also looking to find every other parent I can to ask them to complain with me. A mob with pitchforks can usually kill more monsters together.

The only school I could find to enroll my kids during Easter break, when this all came to a head, is a private school three hours away from my house. So now my kids have to stay with their grandparents for the rest of the school year, and my husband and I only get to see them on weekends. Even though we did nothing wrong. This school is terrible, and these people need to be punished, one way or another.

[yayayards]

Please take this to the authorities not us. First off, if this is true, im shure there are people on here that know about this school, and if this is just one school, then just transfer, no big deal. Btw, like i said, that would be on the news, your kid obviously did something, because "No child left behind" wouldnt be doing its job. Were not getting the correct story here, sorry doesnt add up.

[qjbusmaster]

Originally Posted by vanyali

Yes, I pulled my kids out right away, which is exactly why they did this. This is how this school gets rid of people.

It's very telling that these abuse reports only happen to parents who question the school, and only during a dispute. That is, in fact, evidence of bad faith, and removes the legal protection that teachers usually have from getting sued when they call in abuse reports to CPS.

So, yes, there's a good chance I'm going to sue this teacher, and this principal, as well as file complaints against them with MCPS.

But I'm also looking to find every other parent I can to ask them to complain with me. A mob with pitchforks can usually kill more monsters together.

The only school I could find to enroll my kids during Easter break, when this all came to a head, is a private school three hours away from my house. So now my kids have to stay with their grandparents for the rest of the school year, and my husband and I only get to see them on weekends. Even though we did nothing wrong. This school is terrible, and these people need to be punished, one way or another.

where is it I can try to help with travel options but knowing MD I am not even sure