David, good for you. And good for the school for following up so quickly and not being defensively reactive.

How did I get here? I grew up in the Southern Baptist church--my dad had us there every time the doors opened, and we were all challenged to "witness" to others at every opportunity. It was the *normal* and *right* way for life to be, until I was in my mid-teens, and reading YA fiction from the POV of kids my own age from other religions and societies pried open a crack in my self-satisfaction of being "saved." That was the turning point towards an expanding world view.

Like Steph, looking back on that era creeps me out so hard now. So, I'm right behind you on the school steps, arms full of flyers--and batteries for the bullhorn.

This guy is so fucking busted. He used Instagram to lure kids to the ice cream shop for free ice cream and recruit them.

That is a massive violation of school policy to engage with students via social media outside of parental consent.

Looking at the Instagram notes I see that he solicited students to Direct Message him.

Which is a massive Red Flag and is another violation.

Emmett was very adamant to keep Matilda off Instagram and Snapchat, and I'm starting to see why. It's super hard to monitor and sleeze can get right in.

One person is luring kids to Jesus, another person is luring kids to nastier things. That's why these rules are there. Just because you're trying to "save" the kids doesn't mean you get a pass. They call it "lying for the Lord" in Mormonland. Say anything to get a soul on your sales sheet.

He used Instagram to lure kids to the ice cream shop for free ice cream and recruit them.

Looking at the Instagram notes I see that he solicited students to Direct Message him.

What the actual fuck.

One person is luring kids to Jesus, another person is luring kids to nastier things.

Sometimes it's both, unfortunately.

That is a massive violation of school policy to engage with students via social media outside of parental consent.

That's also a Board of Ed policy, right above socializing. It should be useful for pushing the school, and for the school in going after him, to be able to cite specific policies and say, "See? This right here. All these words telling you never to do the things you just did."

If he'd bothered to read any of the handbooks I'm sure he got when he signed up to substitute teach, he'd have known he was in clear violation of multiple specific written policies. He's not just super dodgy, he's super fucking stupid. (I guess it's possible he read and understood them and decided, Fuck it, I'll do it anyway, for Jesus, but I bet he's just stupid.)

(I guess it's possible he read and understood them and decided, Fuck it, I'll do it anyway, for Jesus, but I bet he's just stupid.)

A lot of freak-ass fundie people do actually think that literally anything is acceptable if you're doing it to "win souls for THE LORD." Violate laws about religion in the workplace? Well, "true believers" are ALWAYS oppressed! Lure kids with ice cream? Well, you're just trying to SAVE SOULS DON'T YOU VALUE WHAT THE LORD VALUES JACQUELINE? HUH?

I mean, people said that shit to me, back in the day. (Though without using the name "Jacqueline.")

Well, yay for him, now he gets to be an Oppressed True Believer by getting his ass blacklisted by the district! Which I'm sure will be perversely satisfying to him.

now he gets to be an Oppressed True Believer by getting his ass blacklisted by the district! Which I'm sure will be perversely satisfying to him.

No, seriously, they love that shit. It "proves" to them that they're doing THE LORD's will. Because the original followers of Jesus were persecuted, see, so if modern "Christians" are persecuted, it's the same thing!

Man, I have so much rage about this, after so many years. But knowing a creepy freak-ass church member targeted Matilda fills me with white-hot fury.

I am so, so glad you got out and away, and I'm sorry the shadow is still there. I'm torn between wanting to say they deserve every ounce of rage you've got and wanting to say they don't deserve another goddamn second of your time.

I'm worried about Matilda taking everything too much to heart. She is terrified of having disappointed us or gotten someone in trouble or gotten a grown-up fired or upset other kids (if he gets sacked, they're going to have to scramble for another soccer coach, but if anyone on the team gives her any grief at all for that I will hurt someone). So there will need to be some reassuring that she did the right thing in bringing the paperwork to us right away, that this is someone who needs to be in trouble and needs to not be teaching