Confrontation
He was in complete disbelief as he tried to get this straight. So, she knew this happened and not only let it continue but also intended for it to happen? He stormed into the principles office. He was livid.
The principal was calm, greeting him with a quote from the school’s rulebook, smirking as he also showed him his signature on the contract. He was smug, completely oblivious to who he was dealing with.
New School
Nathan was taking his young daughter, Jamie, to school as he did every morning. But today was her first day in their new school after moving from Florida.
Unlike their old school, this new school was a Christian one. It had a few rules that Nathan wasn't accustomed to. But he didn't think much of it, something he’d soon come to regret.
Bus Home
When the school day was finished, Nathan was waiting for his little girl at the bus stop near their house. He couldn’t wait to see her smiling sweet face as she’d run into his arms upon seeing him. He was eager to know how her first day went.
But what Nathan saw was far from the picturesque scene he imagined in his head.
Something Went Wrong
Jamie was weeping when she descended the bus as laughter came from behind her. When she spotted her dad, she ran desperately into his arms.
Nathan embraced his daughter as he watched in confusion at the kids pointing and laughing. The bus drove off, he hugged his daughter tight and pulled her away to have a look at her. He saw what was the problem and his chest tightened.
No Pants
Jamie rode the bus home in the most embarrassing situation she had ever been in. She was pantless and he was completely mortified for her. But confused at the same time. He asked her what happened.
“Did you have an accident Jamie? It’s okay if you did” he reassured her. “No” her tearful voice said. “Then why do you have no pants on? Who did this?”, Nathan asked.
Provoked
Jamie tried to explain what her school did but it was obvious that she didn’t fully understand herself. Nathan looked at his daughter, voice shaking, eyes swollen red with tears. His protective instincts raged as he promised himself whoever did this wasn’t going to get away with it.
He dropped her home to her mother, got in his car and headed towards the school.
Temper Flaring
From what Jamie told him, he pieced some things together but there were too many questions. How did they think they could get away with this? As he drove, his temper grew.
By the time he reached the schools parking lot, he was seething. His huge muscles flexed as he moved his bodybuilder's legs into the school, his hand making a tight fist. He was ready for action.
Demanding The Truth
The faculty had no idea who they were dealing with. Nathan walked with intent. He flung open the principal's office doors, to find the principal's assistant sitting at her desk.
Before the assistant could speak, he bellowed at her and demanded why his daughter was missing her pants when she got off the bus. She coward back, completely taken off guard. Noticing her reaction, he spoke more gently and asked again.
The Plot Thickens
“I asked the assistant principal why my daughter was sent home in just panties and a T-shirt, and she begins to tell me, ‘We thought she had a long enough shirt to be able to put her on the school bus and send her home,” Nathan angrily recalled.
He was in complete disbelief at her response. She knew this happened and not only let it continue but also intended for this to happen? He walked past her and repeatedly thumped the principals door.
The Principal
He felt as though he was living in some messed up prank show. He knew his daughter's pants were long enough. They couldn’t have been confiscated on the grounds of indecency. She’s a little girl for crying out loud!
Nathan called for the principle with his deep bellowing voice. He sounded exactly like he looked; Intimidating. The principal opened the door and calmly asked him to come in.
School Rules
“You better have a good explanation for this”, Nathan snarled. The principle ignored his remark and simply made his way over to his desk and pulled out a copy of the school’s rules.
He gestured to Nathan to sit down. Nathan refused. Instead, he stood fuming as the principal slapped down the copy of the contract Nathan had signed on the desk.
Code Of Conduct
The paragraph that the principal pointed out to Nathan read: “Parents who enroll their children in our school know upfront that we ask the students to adhere to a lifestyle informed by our Christian beliefs.”
Nathan read the text and looked at the principal, absolutely dumbfounded. How did this apply to Jamie’s pants? The principle then walked over to the confiscated box and pulled out the offending pair of pants.
The Offending Pants
The principal handed him the pants, which had a colorful rainbow print on it, and exclaimed, “This is why.” Nathan didn’t understand at all and shouted, “What am I looking at?”. Jamie loved rainbows, which was why she begged him for these pants.
He still didn’t see the problem. Then the principal said it plainly and Nathan couldn’t believe his ears.
Shameful Explanation
“We do not endorse LGBTQ pride,” the principal stated. Nathan was gobsmacked and utterly confused. Did the school really think that taking off her pants was better than a rainbow print? It’s no secret that the rainbow is frequently associated with the LGBTQ community.
But Jamie was only nine years old. She wasn’t part of that community, and even if she was, Nathan didn’t see that it mattered. He was stunned!
Calling Them Out
Little did the school know, Nathan was a popular bodybuilder with a big YouTube following. He used his fame to highlight the issue of intolerance, an issue he never expected to find in his daughter’s school. Jaimie’s clothes had not been intended to represent the LGBTQ community and featured an innocent rainbow print that his daughter liked.
The school was hurtled into the spotlight.
Lawyers And Lawsuits
Aside from the blatant discrimination, Nathan was most furious about how sending his daughter home with no pants could have made her vulnerable to predators.
He said that nothing had ever happened like this at her previous school. He hired a lawyer and intends to make the school pay for what they did. But is he right?
Other Concerns
Needless to say, this incident has also made Jamie’s parents concerned about what else goes on in the school behind closed doors. “Now that we come here, we have all these issues. There’s obviously something more going on than what we’re seeing.”
Parents who heard about this story were furious, too. Could the school have handled things differently?
Handling It Badly
Jamie’s mom brought up another good point. Why didn’t the school call either of the parents rather than leave the girl to be embarrassed the entire day?
“There are four contacts on our daughter’s emergency card. Pick up the phone and call us. We will come to fetch our child,” she said, angrily. Other parents had more to say.
Backlash
Concerned parents voiced their views on the matter. One comment read: “They did WHAT!!!! This is unacceptable… someone better be punished if not sued. This isn’t something that’s just going to go away this child will be haunted her whole entire life. They should’ve called the parents to come and get her!”
But how did the school respond to the backlash?
School Statement
The school issued a statement, which implied that there were plenty of other options if Jamie’s parents had not wanted her to attend a school with “Christian values.” They stand by their decision, stating that they will not tolerate violations of the school’s code of conduct.
Needless to say, Jamie’s parents are looking to enroll her elsewhere.