A worried mother fears she may have “overreacted” following her response to a joke made by her son’s teacher in front of his entire class.
The 32-year-old single mum was livid when her son Ben, who has been wheelchair-bound since the age of five, returned home from school upset.
The nine-year-old boy, described by his mother as “the sweetest, most resilient kid,” sometimes struggles with feeling “different” due to his disability – particularly at school.
After some gentle pushing, he revealed to his mother why he was so distressed. On Reddit, she detailed: “Apparently, during class, the teacher, ‘Ms T’, was having the kids line up for an activity.
“Ben’s wheelchair got stuck on the carpet, so he wasn’t in line right away. Ms T, in front of everyone, said something like, ‘Oh, look, VIP Ben is waiting for his special escort!’
“The whole class laughed. When Ben tried to explain about the carpet, she cut him off and said, ‘Excuses, excuses.’ He told me he wanted to cry but didn’t want anyone to see, so he just stayed quiet.”
The mother, seething with anger, contacted the school to request a meeting with Ms T and the headteacher. During the meeting, the woman attempted to remain composed but lost her cool when Ms T insisted it was “just a joke” and that children “need to toughen up.”
The mother continued: “I told her what she did was cruel, and she had no right to humiliate my son like that. She didn’t even apologise, she just smirked and said, ‘Some parents are way too sensitive these days.'”
The mother informed the headteacher of her intention to lodge a formal complaint and reach out to the school board. Following this, Ms T was “put on leave,” and the woman reported “lots of other parents are mad” at her.
She’s been criticised for “overreacting” and potentially “ruining Ms T’s career over a harmless joke”. Another parent even suggested children “need to learn how to handle teasing.”
The mum shared: “Ben’s glad I stood up for him, and honestly, I don’t regret it. But the backlash from other parents has me wondering if I took it too far.”
On Reddit, users weighed in with their opinions. One commented: “What the teacher did was cruel, unprofessional, and deeply hurtful. Humiliating a child in front of their peers, especially a child with a disability, is unacceptable.”
Another advised: “Ask the other parents if they would’ve been ok with her bullying their children. You handled the situation very well.”
A third expressed anger: “Reading this makes me feel so angry. She’s an a**hole and it’s not a joke she’s an adult she should have a clear head to know that it’s offensive.”