"What makes you feel you're qualified?" Topic

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So… this is the message: "Unless you have jumped through the approved bureaucratic hoops for official training, do not DARE address issues that can result in the physical and emotional harm of the children you are in charge of (even if handling it consists of, "a few laps") or YOU'RE FIRED."

Exactly what qualifications are there to be on the school board?

And what would have happened had he taken NO action against the bully?

Wellll, it just depends on WHO is doing the bullying and how important he is to the team and what will happen if he quits because he was not allowed to build up his self-esteem by tearing down somebody else's self-esteem. Somebody else who probably isn't very good at the sport because he wouldn't be bullied if he were. So you see, you've got to weigh these things VERY carefully when you hold an important position on the School Board. Don't you see?

"And what would have happened had he taken NO action against the bully?"

Aye, there's the rub. Here in Indiana, we're in a pickle. 'Bullying' is now a legal term. We're not supposed to even say the word. Everything is pushed up to administration. There are behavioral standards, and specific incidents can be addressed, but we can't – or at least, shouldn't – say 'bullying'.

And the 'do nothing unless specifically trained to do so' is endemic. It's all about insurance, and legal liability.

I'm so glad I'm out of education. And I was only a sub, and then an IA.

After being tormented in the 10th grade by a bully for months, after countless conferences with the school's resident police officer, after failing to rally parents of other victimized kids and after failed efforts through the legal system (restraining order) my son finally took matters into his own hands and just "cold cocked" the bully in the face. Problem solved. The bully's reputation collapsed, his prey no longer feared him, gutless parents continued to "looked the other way" and the school's helpless police officer was grateful.

The "system" is no more equipped to handle such situations now than they were then. A lesson that has many broad reaching applications….if you get my meaning.

Although the bullying happened at school, the team sounds like it is a rec. league or community team rather than a school district team. Here is a link to the group's website:

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They do have a written bullying and sportsmanship policy that covers conduct on and off the field.
Here is a link to their parent/player expectations:

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I compliment the coach on the way he initially addressed the issue by talking to the entire team. (Huh, just like the entire team is penalized on the field for an infraction of the rules.) When the bullying continued, he addressed the specific individual involved and then enforced a punishment after which he again addressed the individual in a positive way.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Taking the report at face value, if my kid was on the team I'd be petitioning to get that coach back, but with the way news is presented now you can't take things at face value. Might be other issues left unmentioned because they conflict with the desired narrative.

I have to admit, I tend towards the "if he's giving you grief, put him on the ground" school of thought. It usually only needs one such incident to sort out a single bully.

Multiple aggressors, of course, are a different matter.

I'm lucky, I wasn't bullied at school, and I don't think it was just because I had a temper which manifested itself in the red eyes, screaming hysteria and the belief that no-one was too big to take.