Inaction sends wrong message

To the editor:

I was watching the news and saw that the principal of Jackson High School was worried about what a student was wearing. There does not seem to as much concern about the fact that my son was recently assaulted by a teacher, and to this day there has been nothing done. We had meetings with the school officials. They seemed concerned and asked what I thought should be done. The teacher admitted doing this and said he just snapped. He followed my child to his seat, poked him in the chest three times and said he was going to kick his ass. I told them I thought the teacher should be treated like my son would be treated if he assaulted a teacher. There is no doubt he would be suspended and perhaps even arrested.

After I said this, the school officials told me the superintendent was out of town and would call me when he returned. When he called, I told him I thought the teacher should be suspended and sent to anger-management counseling. He told me they would take care to see that this never happened again, but I was not allowed to know what action would be taken against the teacher. This teacher hasn't been taken out of school for one day.

I think this is a terrible message to send to children: You can assault someone at school and say "I'm sorry" and return to school the next day with no consequences.

KARIN UMPHLETT, Jackson