Email I sent out to try to get legal help for my work situation.

[Pink Bat Maxine]

> From: Christine Smith
> Date: January 23, 2009 8:18:01 PM PST
> To: "info@transgenderlawcenter.org" <info@transgenderlawcenter.org>
> Subject: I need advice.
>
> I work at a non-public school in Daly City. Every day, I am followed about the school many times as homophobic and transphobic slurs are shouted at me. I and the other classes have to lock our doors to prevent being harassed. This student is not talked to about his harassment of others, and especially not his harassment of me as a transsexual woman. He is never given education about the issue, and is, in fact, frequently given food or other tangable rewards for ceasing his behavior for as long as a half hour.
>
> At another campus of the company under a different director several years ago, I was told by the director that I could not be a teacher because I wanted to gender transition, and was demoted with a significent cut on pay.
>
> Every morning, I retch and vomit from the stress, and the many complaints I and others have made have fallen on deaf ears.
>
> I am at the end of my rope and need help. What can I do? Please help me.

....and then....

> From: Christine Smith
> Date: January 23, 2009 8:25:50 PM PST
> To: "info@transgenderlawcenter.org" <info@transgenderlawcenter.org>
> Subject: Continued
>
> I should add that the food reinforcers happen in this context:
> He follows me around shouting tranaphobic slurs. Someone tells him that if he stays in his classroom for a half hour they'll buy him a meal. He eats it, then looks for me and starts right back in harassing me.
>
> His specific harassment of me is not addressed, but has been excused as being 'part of his culture' and therefore to be indulged.

[Mermaid]

That's so incredibly wrong. Why the hell is this student not removed from the school? If he was this way toward another student surely he would be disciplined.

I'd be contacting a lawyer for some legal advice I feel. If the school wont do anything maybe you should. You should NOT have to work with this kind of harassment!

Anyway.....my advice. Contact a lawyer.

[Sound Silence]

The hell? That is the worst management method I've heard.

Do those idiots not know they're reinforcing his behavior by rewarding it?

You punish them for acting up, not reward them when they stop. :rolleyes:

[Bo Bo]

What!?! I can't believe they're letting this happen! :mad: :mad:

[KJ_81]

I can't believe you're being serious here. (I mean, I know you're being serious. But I just can't believe the stupidity of the people involved)

How stupid are these people!?! They're effectively rewarding and PROMOTING the kids behaviour.

That's just awful.

[Stressfactor]

I'm no lawyer PBM, but you might want to mention that this is also a school for special needs kids. It does NOT in ANY way excuse such horrid behavior but any lawyer should have all the fact before they decide how to proceed and any advice they may give you may also depend on that as well.

Good luck -- I hope you're able to do something to change this climate.

I've NEVER had to deal with this kid of shit but I remember being so miserable at a job that I would wake up, sit up in bed, and take every ounce of willpower in me not to cry. It's no fun when it hurts that much to work.

And yeah, the idiot who first said "Stick and stone will break my bones but names can never hurt me" should have been drawn and quartered because he was an idiot. Names hurt the WORST of all.

[Solaris]

So has the transgender lawyer center replied to you yet, hon?

(Folks, note: the email *was* to this center.)

Maxine, you've told us before how the kids at your center are rewarded for bad behavior, and to stop bad behavior. ANY psychologist or therapist would say that not only is this ineffective, but it's counter-productive, and reinforces the bad behavior. Hell, a lot of parents would say the same... and they'd be right.

This center, I gather, is *supposed* to *help* these children correct their issues. Instead, these policies turn it into nothing more than a "holding center," and honestly, that's just a fancy name for a jail.

Now, if they're running a jail, they are NOT keeping the staff secure, they are NOT keeping the public secure, and they are failing at their duty.

If they *are*, indeed, a "rehabilitation facility"---they are ALSO failing at their job, because what they are doing is *enabling,* not *reinforcing.*

I hope this lawyer center will help you. This is heinous on multiple levels: the harassment and suffering you're enduring, the additional physical and safety risk to staff that this "enabling" policy layers onto the students' existing behavioral problems, and the policy itself being 180 degrees counter to the purpose of the center. (And, that's not including the prejudicial treatment and harm you've received from that other center, and demotion of pay.

If these folks won't or can't help you, is there some government oversight department that might help you? Or a general labor lawyer? Is there a union?

And, if all else fails, you might spur a public investigation by speaking to the press---but I'm sure you know that *this* route will very likely lose you your job, though in the end, you might receive compensation or even be hired back, if an investigation wipes out the current administration for the school.

Dearheart, this sucks. And no, you shouldn't have to face this. Nor should the school be rewarding bad behavior from the students---I don't care *how* disabled (mentally or emotionally) some of them may be---the point is, you *don't* reward bad behavior. Period. That teaches that bad behavior is the route to reward, and makes it *grow*.

We're here for you. Please keep us posted on this, as it moves along. We love you. *hugs*

[Dazzler]

And people wonder why I quit that shit-hole.

You need a witness, PBM, you gimme a call.

--Dazz

[Pink Bat Maxine]

And people wonder why I quit that shit-hole.

You need a witness, PBM, you gimme a call.

--Dazz

We're all checking our legal options for that and other things. Possibly class action. Bet your ass we'll be calling you.

[Dazzler]

We're all checking our legal options for that and other things. Possibly class action. Bet your ass we'll be calling you.

Thanks, I would LOOOOOOOOOVE to tell my personal experiences with the glory that is Daly City's crowning glory. Seriously, nothing would make me happier than to impart just a little of the shit that went down while I was there.

--Dazz

[Pink Bat Maxine]

Thanks, I would LOOOOOOOOOVE to tell my personal experiences with the glory that is Daly City's crowning glory. Seriously, nothing would make me happier than to impart just a little of the shit that went down while I was there.

--Dazz


Cool. Let me buy you some Tom Yum soup or summat on Wednesday and we'll chit chat.

[Dazzler]

Cool. Let me buy you some Tom Yum soup or summat on Wednesday and we'll chit chat.

Beh-bay, you just said the magic words. There's a reason it's called Tom YUM.

I've got several, several winning moments written down, just in case you need them. Unfortunately, they're all dateless, because I wrote them down after I quit.

Still, yes, let's have a chat.

--Dazz

[darkhanamaru]

I am so sorry you are going through this PBM. that place sounds so unhealthy.