Ch. 7: Preview #2

“What’s my situation?”

She leaned back against the desk, only to make room for two eye-poppingly wide forearms folding underneath her jutting breasts.  Jesus Christ …

“You’re playing dumb with me,” she disdainfully accused, “so I’m afraid I have no choice but to lay this out for you as simply and plainly as I can.  Regardless of what this student may or may not have done—”

“May not have--!?  She tore a button off my shirt; ripped it clean off!  And then she ruffled my hair and flicked my nose!  And she—”

“That is not relevant for this discussion!” 

Her icy tone seeped deep into his veins.

“What is relevant, is that we have thirty-one teachers at this school.  Thirty-one adults, to whom we entrust the safety, well-being, and supervision of our students.  Of those thirty-one: thirty have proven up to the task, with as few or fewer referrals and incidents in their classrooms than in past years.  Do you know what I find quite odd, though?  In the thirty-second teacher’s classroom, incident reports have actually increased fourfold.”  The heavy oak beneath her creaked as she leaned closer.  “In case you’re that slow on the uptake: that thirty-second teacher is you.”

His palms broke into a sweat.  “N … Now wait just a minute!  Just because the other thirty teachers are female, and I’m male, doesn’t mean I—"

“Mister Walker!” she hissed.  “Did I say the words ‘man’ or ‘woman’?  ‘Male’ or ‘female’?  Did I?”

He trembled.  No, she couldn’t say it explicitly.  That would open the door for lawsuits.  But this school – as, increasingly, did others – found ways around that.  With veiled arguments just like the one she was using here.

“I—”

“Answer my question.”

“… N-No.  You didn’t.”

“Correct.”  She evidently changed her mind about giving the referral slip back to him.  She turned, lifted it off the desk like a used rag, and dropped it into her trash bin.  “Nine hundred and seventy-six students, Mr. Walker.  Thirty-one teachers.  Six administrators.  What do you think would happen if every one of our teachers – hell, if even one fifth of our teachers – needed the front office to back them up as often as you do, on disciplinary matters?  What if they all experienced behavioral incidents with as much regularity?? … Well, Mr. Walker?”

His mouth was full of cotton.  “I…”

She leaned down closer, scoldingly.  “We would be overrun.  Our school would be in chaos.  It’s a simple matter of numbers and resources, Mr. Walker.  The system relies on our teachers standing strong on the front lines and keeping their classrooms in order.”

“S… So what does that mean for … me?”

Principal Caldwell peered down her glasses at him.  “You need things laid out even clearer?  Fine.  Just as well, I suppose.  Mr. Walker: neither I nor Dean Roker will tolerate any more referrals from you, for anything less than outright assault; or provable, serious harassment.  At the same time, Dean Roker and I had better not catch word of any safety incidents occurring within a ten foot radius of your classroom, do you understand me?  If either of these things should occur, then your employment will be terminated immediately.”

He wobbled backward.  “But … how can I keep them from happening, if I can’t report anyone?”

The husky woman whooshed past him and opened her door.  “We have thirty other teachers here who have managed it just fine,” she replied dryly.  “Perhaps one of them would be willing to mentor you on the matter, if you asked nice.”

He gaped.  Now she was being insulting on purpose.  ‘Mentored’?  He had more years of experience than almost any of them – including Principal Caldwell!

“I … I …”

It wasn’t fair.  She was setting him up to fail.  Clearly she just wanted him gone: the lone male holdout on her staff.  Probably a black mark on her record, in her eyes.  He wasn’t long for this school, it seemed.

But where else could he work?  Where?  He needed this job.  So, with half the eyes in the front office looking at him, he swallowed his pride once again and gave an outward show of respect.  “Y-Yes, Principal Caldwell.  I’ll consider that.”  He and his rosy cheeks left the office fast as he could.