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

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

IF JESUS WANTS EVERYONE TO BE NAMED JACQUELINE THEN DAMNIT YOU WILL ANSWER TO THE NAME JACQUELINE!

Oh, yeah, he's going to back to his congregation and be hailed as a martyr and valiant warrior for the Lord after he gets banned from teaching. It's those godless liberal Californians, you know.

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

I wonder if this is something you could tie into the women's march -- being smart and brave and strong and doing the right thing to make sure that people are safe. (Look, you 2 are fantastic parents, so I don't need to offer ideas. The connection just occurred to me, though.)

Also, it's never too soon to start learning, "You did not get him in trouble; he got himself in trouble because of his actions."

I wonder if this is something you could tie into the women's march -- being smart and brave and strong and doing the right thing to make sure that people are safe. (Look, you 2 are fantastic parents, so I don't need to offer ideas. The connection just occurred to me, though.)

No, that's really helpful.