This is a story that will ignite your emotions, but rest assured, it has a satisfying ending. Witness a courageous female student standing up for her rights and refusing to be bullied. And when her mother arrives, she defends her daughter’s actions with perfect precision. It’s time we put a stop to these situations and protect our children.

As an Emergency Room nurse, I’m not allowed to have my phone on me during work hours. It must be kept in the lockers. One day, while attending to my duties, I receive a call on the hospital reception’s private line.

Phone: “This is [Teacher] from [School]. There’s been an incident involving [Daughter]. We need you to come in.”

Me: “Is she ill or injured? Can it wait until my shift is over in two hours?”

Phone: “[Daughter] has struck another student. We’ve been trying to call you for 45 minutes. It really is very serious.”

Concerned, I rush to the school and am promptly taken to the Principal’s office. Inside, I find my daughter, her advisor, a male teacher, the principal, a boy with a bloody nose and flushed face, and his parents.

Principal: “Mrs. [My Name], how kind of you to FINALLY join us!”

Me: “Yeah, things get busy in the ER. I’ve just spent the last hour stitching up a seven-year-old who was beaten by his mother with a metal ladle. Then, I had to deal with the police regarding the matter. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

Even as the Principal tries to hide his embarrassment, he explains what has occurred. Apparently, the boy snapped my daughter’s bra, and in response, she punched him in the face twice. Oddly enough, they seem angrier with my daughter than with the boy.

Me: “Oh, and you want to know if I’m going to press charges against him for sexually assaulting my daughter and against the school for allowing it?”

Their reactions become jittery as soon as I mention sexual assault, and everyone starts speaking at once.

Teacher: “I don’t think it was that serious.”

Advisor: “Let’s not overreact.”

Principal: “I think you’re missing the point.”

Then, the boy’s mother begins to cry. I turn to my daughter to get her side of the story.

Daughter: “He kept snapping my bra. I asked him to stop, but he didn’t. So, I told Mr. [Teacher], and he told me to ‘ignore it.’ [Boy] did it again and even undid my bra, so I hit him. After that, he stopped.”

With disbelief, I turn to the teacher.

Me: “You let him do this? Why didn’t you stop him? Come over here and let me touch the front of your trousers.”

Teacher: “What?! No!”

Me: “Does that seem appropriate to you? Why don’t you go and pull on Mrs. [Advisor]’s bra right now? See how fun it is for her. Or go and do it to that boy’s mother. Or to me. Do you think just because they’re kids, it’s fun?”

Principal: “Mrs. [My Name]. With all due respect, [Daughter] still beat another child.”

Me: “No. She defended herself against a sexual attack from another student. Look at them; he’s nearly 6 feet tall and weighs 160 pounds. She’s only 5 feet tall and weighs 84 pounds. He’s towering over her and twice as heavy. How many times should she have allowed him to touch her? If the person who was supposed to help and protect her in a classroom couldn’t be bothered, what should she have done? He pulled her bra so hard it came undone.”

The boy’s mother is still in tears, and his father appears both angry and embarrassed. The teacher refuses to meet my eyes. I then direct my attention to the principal.

Me: “I’m taking my daughter home. I believe the boy has learned his lesson. And I sincerely hope nothing like this ever happens again, not only to [Daughter], but to any other girl in this school. You wouldn’t allow him to do it to a member of the staff, so what makes you think he can do it to a 15-year-old girl is beyond me. I will be reporting this to the school administrators. And if you—,” turning to the boy “—EVER touch my daughter again, I WILL have you arrested for sexual assault. Do you understand me?”

Furious, I collect my daughter’s belongings and swiftly leave the office. I report the incident to the School Board, some of whom I know personally, and they assure me that it will be dealt with firmly.

As a result, my daughter gets transferred to a different class for that subject, away from the teacher and the boy.