<p>Basically, my high school principal said something to my little sister (she’s in eighth grade and she wanted to skip to ninth, and trust me, she’s smart enough) that suggested the idea of suicide to her; something along the lines of “Last time we let a girl do that, school got her so stressed out that she tried to kill herself.” He also said they’d only put her in the lowest-level ninth grade classes possible - which would be less challenging that eighth - even if she could test into higher classes.</p>
<p>I have more problems with this statement than you can imagine - first, that he brought up the idea of suicide to a thirteen-year-old-girl, especially right before he broke her heart by telling her she couldn’t skip a grade (when after all she is old enough to be in ninth grade in this district and probably smarter and better educated already than a lot of kids that are in ninth grade); second, that this is his philosophy on education, that motivated students should be discouraged; etc. She came home crying and saying that she might as well kill herself, which of course she didn’t mean - teenagers can be melodramatic - but that’s not the point. What if she had meant it? She never said anything like that before this; the idea came from him.</p>
<p>My school has a pervasive negative attitude that I attribute mainly to the principal. He cares more about inventing new arbitrary rules (i.e. kids can’t go to the bathroom during class, and if they do, the teacher gets in trouble, which is basically a way to blackmail teachers into complying to rules like this that even they think are ridiculous), and about driving kids into the ground to get high MCAS scores, than he does about the actual education, and educational attitude, of the students here. (I go to a school that was designed by an architect who specializes in prisons, which basically explains the atmosphere.)</p>
<p>We want to sue him. First of all, I know we can, but how do we make the case stronger? The problem is that I am a senior and third in my class, and my parents and I want to avoid making me a pariah in my school. They were going to move as soon as I graduated anyway, because the school system here basically sucks. So I am wondering if anyone knows offhand what the statute of limitations is in a case like this, and if they can avoid getting into a legal battle with my school until after I graduate. I looked it up in a lot of education law books but I couldn’t find anything.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t think that CC is the right place to ask this question. I think that if you’re set on suing him (what are you going to sue him for? I don’t think it’s actually illegal for him to say what happened to the last girl who tried to skip a year, but did he say that because she’s specifically a girl or becuase she wants to move up in general?) you need to speak to a real lawyer, because s/he will be able to give you much better advice than whatever you’ll find on this forum.</p>
<p>wow, suing for such a minor issue (what is the issue?)… If you really want money, get a job… If you have troubles, please inform the superintendent…</p>
<p>I really do feel for you. However, suing is the wrong way to go. I’m not going to say “Get over it”, because your concerns are valid. The principal is horrible and not concerned with the well-being of his students. Personally, I’d go to the school board and voice my complaints, maybe even bring some others with myself that agree with me. Getting him fired seems much more appropriate.</p>
<p>If she is such an overachiever, then she will be very successful in hs and will get into great colleges. If she skips a grade, she will be much more challenged, and who knows what will happen. Plus, I find it hard to believe that an 8th grader would want to leave her classmates she has known for so long just because she doesnt feel challenged enough. Theres plenty of EC’s/extra work that she can do on the side to flesh out her hs experience. BUt heck what do i know…good luck</p>
<p>Wow, that’s insanely ridiculous. It’s really not easy to go only during the five minute passing periods (at least in my school) when the bathrooms are overly crowded and only three of the toilets actually work and you still need to get to class on time. Holding it can cause a bunch of medical problems too. Maybe you should lock this buttface in his office and tell him he can only come out at predesignated, five-minute long times.</p>
<p>Anyway. I don’t know anything about suing, so can’t really help you.</p>
<p>Well, actually, just focusing on one narrow issue – you can pretty much file a civil suit against anyone for anything. The court clerk will probably even show you how to do it. The problem is that the judge will likely toss it as without merit and might charge you court fees to do so. </p>
<p>I suggest that you take your little sister out to dinner and a movie or something and try to relax. I doubt the principal was trying to hurt your sister. If this was a serious request to skip a grade it should come from your parents, not an 8th grader. Sorry, but at 13 or 14 she’s not equipped to make this decision.</p>
<p>I feel for you and your sister, but you can’t sue someone just because they hurt your feelings. I’m sure you’ve said somthing just as vulgar to someone else when you were in a bad mood or without even realizing it was hurtful. That doesn’t make someone a bad person. I hate to say that your sister needs to learn how to deal with it, but that kinda is what I’m saying. </p>
<p>That said, the whole you can’t go to the bathroom during class thing is ridiculus and you should get some parents to complain to the school or the school board; i’m sure that could be changed if you work at it.</p>