All boys and girls go through arguments at school. Even though it's unpleasant, it helps children understand facts about life and the human nature. But what happens when the school is at blame? When this family's boy came home with a mark on his hand, they realized something was off.
Still, not all body marks are bruises, which makes this story even more interesting. It is about a boy who came back from school only for his parents to find out that he had unidentified marks on his arm.
Thinking the Decision Through
Tara Chavez, the mother of this boy, considered all the different aspects of the situation before moving her son to the Desert Cove Elementary School.
The decision was almost necessary, as the family had just moved to Phoenix. The most important factor was whether or not the boy would fit into his new class.
Only The Best For Her Son
Many factors play a role when it comes to hard decisions, such as moving your kid to another school. The reputation of the school, the tuition fees, and how many students are in a certain class all have to be considered.
Still, none of that mattered if her son did not feel comfortable at the school. Both parents are extremely devoted to their boy and know that not every environment is suitable for him, as he is introverted and delicate.
The Desert Cove Elementary School Seemed Perfect
After performing thorough research, everything seemed great. Tara, the great mother that she is, did her best to learn about the background of the school, as well as the type of classmates that her boy might have.
Concluding that Desert Cove Elementary School is an institution of high reputation, she proceeded to fill out all the necessary paperwork and enroll her son into the school.
Issues From the Beginning
Unfortunately, Tara had no clue that the environment was everything but suitable for the young boy. This is something that both she and her husband found out a bit later in the story.
When referring to the predicament later on in interviews and posts, the mother of the boy regretted the decision that she made. Still, parents from the school, as well as other people who were aware of the situation, gave her much-needed support.
The First Semester Was Fine
One would think that a successful first semester is a good sign. However, although the boy, named Cayden, was satisfied with how it went, things were about to take a turn for the worst.
According to Cayden’s experience, as well as what his educators said, he enjoyed his classes and was friends with several classmates. Knowing this, Tara was happy that everything was working out well, and Cove seemed like a suitable choice.
Critical Evaluation
Cayden'sfather was also confident that this was the right environment for him. In fact, his boy had nothing but good words for his teachers and classmates.
As they wanted nothing but the optimal environment for their son, Tara and her husband did not want to make any changes. Little did they know that their boy was hiding a huge problem.
Something Seemed Wrong
A couple of days into the second semester, Tara decided to go to the school and bring Cayden back home. She was surprised to find him quite sad at the school, not happy or excited like she had expected him to be.
At first, she planned to question her boy about what was wrong, but she then decided to skip this and simply gave him a long, warm hug. Cayden accepted it and did not say a word, either.
Victim Of Bullying
While she did not discuss this matter with Cayden, Tara was startled and sensed that something was wrong. Numerous scenarios were going through her head, including that her son may be a victim of bullying.
This is something that she was scared of even before Cayden started going to the school, and now there were red flags of potential abuse. After thinking about all the potential situations, she decided to face Cayden and try to make him feel better.
Talking The Issue Through
Tara thought that the best way to approach her son was to prepare his favorite food and try to lift his spirits. As a parent, she knew how to get information out of her child without him figuring it out.
At the dining table, she decided to ask Cayden a few questions about school and how things were going. She was sure that this would yield some results.
Did Not Do Any Good
Unfortunately, Cayden was not interested in discussing the matter. When his mother asked him questions, the boy barely responded or just kept quiet.
This was another sign that there might be a huge issue that her son simply did not want to discuss. As Tara later suggested, she felt that he was under a lot of tension during their conversation and that he was trying to hide something.
Let Him Go
By this time, it was clear that Cayden would not speak up - at least, not today. That is why Tara decided to let him leave the dining table and have fun for the rest of his day. Still, she was not planning to give up for long.
Being responsible for picking Cayden up from school, Tara had the opportunity to discuss things with her son before they got home. One day, the situation got even more alarming, as there was a blue mark on his arm.
The Source Of The Blue Mark
Tara kindly asked Cayden to turn and show her the mark. At first, she thought and hoped that it was nothing but some dirt from playing outside. Unfortunately, that was far from the truth.
After she inspected the unidentified mark, she was sure that it was proof of whatever bullying Cayden was going through. In her mind, this could not go unaddressed, and the first step of her plan was to discuss it with her husband.
It Was A Stamp
A mother's intuition is one of the most powerful things in the world. Tara was absolutely right when she assumed that her son was being bullied at school a few days before finding the mark.
To her surprise, it was not a bruise - it was a stamp. In a way, she felt even more sorry for her son, as verbal and emotional abuse can be incredibly damaging. Tara could not leave the story there; she was determined to find out all the details.
She Could Not Keep Her Composure
Although Tara wanted to stay calm and focused until they arrived home, she simply could not do it. According to her own report, she was incredibly angry at the people who stamped her son, as well as herself because she should have done better research.
As soon as they arrived home, Cayden said that he was tired and that he wanted to go to his room. Tara knew that he wanted to avoid any further discussion, but this was something that she did not approve of.
An Honest Family Conversation
She told him that the stamp was something that they needed to discuss. Tara wanted everyone in the house to engage in the conversation, so she brought both Cayden and her husband to the dining table.
Cayden's father also thought it was a bruise that they were talking about, but after taking a closer look, he could see the letters and words that were stamped onto his boy’s arm. He agreed with his wife and suggested that it was a serious situation that they needed to talk about.
LUNCH MONEY
Trying to learn more about the injustice that happened to their son, both Tara and her husband asked Cayden why the words “LUNCH MONEY” were stamped on his arm. What raised even more alarm is that the two words were in all capital letters.
According to Cayden, it was not his classmates who did it, and no, he did not stamp “LUNCH MONEY” on his own arm. What Cayden told his parents was probably the most shocking scenario.
Rude Lunch Lady
The boy said that it was the lunch lady who wanted to make him feel ashamed. This made a lot of sense in a way. Although it was not direct physical abuse, stamping a mark on someone can be emotionally painful.
When Tara and her husband found this out, the only thing that they had in mind was to pay a visit to the school and talk with the director about what happened. Not only that, but they planned to meet the lunch lady and hear her potential excuses.
Public Humiliation
What the parents were most interested in was whether Cayden was asked anything by the lady. According to him, she gave him no choice but rather pulled his arm out and stamped the two insulting words on him.
Why did she do it? No one could tell, but it was clear that such an act of injustice would have to be addressed. Another red flag was the fact that, although Cayden stopped eating lunch at school for a few days, the money from his account was significantly decreased.
Only 75 Cents
Tara looked at Cayden’s account and was shocked to find only 75 cents left. This convinced the parent that not only was their boy humiliated, but someone was taking his money.
Tara's first step was to take a clear photo of the mark and share it on social media with an explanation of what happened. Unfortunately, she could not take a good photo of the stamp, as Cayden was stressed, humiliated, and did not want to cooperate in this aspect.
The Situation Went Viral
Apart from the mark, the parents were confused by how the school failed to send them a reminder that Cayden had only 75 cents left in his account. The latest theory was that their boy did not have enough money to pay for the meal, so the lady stamped the mark on his arm.
The biggest question was whether it was the school’s fault that they did not inform Cayden’s parents of the fact that his account was low. Even if that was the case, there is no excuse for the lady stamping "LUNCH MONEY" on a child's arm. Tara published the photo, and the story soon went viral.
People Supported Tara
The fact that Cayden was branded did not go over well with most people. Thus, just a few days after posting the story, Tara received hundreds of comments and messages of support. Both of the parents were happy to find that people agreed with them and wanted to share their troubles.
Even more, it was great that Cayden was receiving direct support from his classmates, as well as other people on social media.
Not An Isolated Case
According to numerous reports, what happened to Cayden was not an isolated case. As Tara was scrolling through the comments section, she found out that a plethora of boys and girls had experienced something similar.
While their testimony was not directly related to Cove Elementary School, everything else matched up. At the end of the day, the location did not matter - stamping the arm of a young child is completely unacceptable.
What Was The School’s Reaction?
Along with hundreds of supportive comments, a good number of comments were directed to the school and its representatives. One worried parent had a sincere question about what happens if the parents do not update the lunch money account on time.
He wanted to know whether Cayden would be stamped multiple times if the parents did not figure out the root cause.
Rebuking The Actions Of The Lunch Lady
Surprisingly, the school representatives, including Principal Stacey Orest, saw nothing wrong with this situation. According to her, kids are given a choice. When their lunch money is running low, they can either decide to go home with a reminder bill or the stamp.
This contradicts what Cayden said when his parents asked him about the choice that he said he was not given. Still, no one was happy with this response - not Tara or anyone else on social media who claimed that stamps can not be considered a method of communication.
No Humiliation
Not only did the school answer by mail, but the spokesperson also published an official announcement. They once again suggested that the stamp method has been used for years and that there are no bad intentions.
Once again, they reminded the parents of the choice their children were given and that Cayden’s case is not the first time that something like this has happened.
The Impact Of Social Media
Although the school wanted to justify this method, thousands were not satisfied, so the school declared that the stamps would not be used anymore. This is something that Tara was hoping for, and it was officially published in the Phoenix New Times.
There was a similar outcome that happened at the Gardendale Elementary School when Joe Bivens (a father of third-graders) was shocked by the stamping methods.
Stamps Can Not Be Explained
At first, Joe was sure that it was just a joke, as his son did not show any signs of bullying. Still, he found out that, instead of a cool mark, it was an “I need lunch money” reminder.
When Joe and his wife went to talk with the principal, the response was quite similar, stating that the stamps are something Gardendale has used for years.
Unacceptable Lunch Shaming
Hearing this, Joe did not want to let this story go unpublished. For that reason, he spoke at several news channels, informing parents of what their kids go through when their lunch money account is low.
Everyone agreed that such branding is not a way to communicate with people. Additionally, it is embarrassing and utterly humiliating.
An End To Stamping
Years have passed since both of these stories happened. We are happy to say that Gardendale and Cove have effectively discontinued the use of this method.
Still, that does not mean that the elementary school your child is going to has stopped that practice. We advise you to stay aware and openly discuss this matter with your children.