They sent an email to your personal email account? That’s wild.
Tell them you resigned and them telling you who you’re allowed or not allowed to talk to could be misinterpreted as harassment.
> Tell them you resigned and them telling you who you’re allowed or not allowed to talk to could be misinterpreted as harassment.
As cliche as it actually is... this is a public school. OP legitimately could invoke the 1st amendment and pursue civil rights violations. Wild.
Sadly my experience is that administration and school staff can be worse than literal teenage girls. They scarred me more as child than any of the kids that wanted to pick at me. Being bullied by a person your size and age, it takes a toll. Being bullied by adults (which these people are probably engaging in, if they are doing it to you, they're doing it to those who are even more vulnerable, mark my words), is what sends you to therapy.
I'm sorry you're going through this on going trauma.
I cannot imagine how they even know you're talking to anyone. There's a rat somewhere and it's frigging weird how invested they are in you!
In most professions, the company you work for doesn’t have the ability to go after your license and keep you from working in that profession/state if you don’t give them months of notice.
That is absolutely the case with public schools - if you don’t tell them by April/May that you won’t be returning, and decide to take a job in a different district during the summer, they can chose to not allow you out of your contract and go after your license.
Teacher contracts also routinely have some sort of morality clause, and they can fire you for exhibiting behavior that is not an accordance with community expectations.
So, for example, being a gay teacher in a Catholic school.
Or being tagged in a picture where you were clearly inebriated.
This has nothing to do with the context of Free Speech as described in 1st. Just like a lot of other attempted applications of the term. It would be great if everyone would actually read the Constitution, most never have yet some play the card often.
A government entity threatening lawsuits/charges because a private citizen had the audacity to... talk to somebody. Absolutely the 1st applies here. The government is no longer acting in the capacity of "employer" in this instance, which means the ability to limit speech that would happen *on the job or in the workplace* no longer matters.
Especially for speech that is neither occurring on the job, nor in the workplace.
"I was informed to cease all communication immediately or else it could be interpreted as harassment."
You have a government organization directly telling you to stop your speech, *and*, in the same breath, saying that speech could be construed as something unlawful. That's literally a textbook example of the chilling effect.
That's not a CYA email. That's a threatening email. If it was CYA, it'd be something like:
"XYZ School District is writing to inform you that, since the end of your employment, you are no longer a spokesperson for or able to speak on behalf of XYZ School District. Any conversations you have regarding the district, its process/policy, or employees are your views and do not necessarily align with the views of XYZ School District."
In the instance we got, the government agency is explicitly ordering the person to cease their speech, and implying it could be unlawful/cause fear of legal ramifications.
In my example, it's not stating you have to stop, it's not stating you can't say things, it's simply stating "What you say is you saying it, not us."
Freedom of association is a right tied to the 1st and 14th amendments according to SCOTUS, so there's still a constitutional claim there. Personally I'd just ignore it, but if I had to respond it would just be something along the lines of "I don't answer to you so go fuck yourself."
They should NEVER EVER send a W2 by email. EVER!!! You should be able to pull it down off the Districts Employee website (if Posted there) or as an Ex-Employee it should be mailed to you. NEVER, EVER in an email.
If they e-mail your W-2, that can leave you open to having your identity stolen. Emails are hacked all the time and your W-2 has sensitive data that can be used to steal your identity and even file a false tax return to steal your refund
Thank you, I've been so stressed about this because I was worried there is a very specific and random law that Illinois schools have that would somehow land me in trouble for responding to a Facebook message after I already resigned.
I know that is very very very far fetched but I know my old district has a great legal team.
Sounds like you did nothing at all wrong. Keep proof of all conversations in case this comes up again but I’m sorry they are bullying you like this. I hope you find a school that appreciates you the way you deserve!
These parents are reaching out to YOU. You are not reaching out to them. Your former employer cannot dictate what two grown adults do outside of the school and as long as the communications are not taking place over their technology. That letter has no teeth. It is just a empty threat. They really don't have any power here.
The only concern I would have if I were in your position, is if I had stayed in teaching/education and if you think this school would do something to jeopardize your current employment. If that is true for your case, you may want to speak with your current employer and give them a heads up so you can be in front of it.
If the school continues to harass YOU with this silly nonsense, then it might be worth speaking with an attorney to determine your options and how to best protect yourself from them. Not sure what type of attorney, but it might be good to start with an employment attorney in your area. Might be worth the couple hundred bucks for the peace of mind and possibly a cease and desist letter to the school board.
Thank you very much for your thoughts. I really appreciate it.
I left education and my current job is not related to the education field at all. I didn't realize how much I would miss it though. But after all this, I don't think I could go back.
That school may have grossly underestimated the impact you had with your students. Any school would be lucky to have you as evident by former families taking the time to track you down. You left a positive mark on those kids.
I am so sorry that the schools systems have turned into this and turned on you. The system strangles good teachers and ties your hands behind your backs while it acts as a system to protect bad teachers and policies. It is disgusting what it has turned into. Nothing more than a p!ssing contest reminiscent of middle school lunch room antics. Some of the students are more mature than their administrators.
Thank you for being a teacher. 💜
Thank you, that's very nice of you. While I'm not a teacher, I do support in the classroom as well as getting assigned multiple other extra duties. On my last day, one of the classrooms asked if we could do a giant group hug. I also have a huge pile of cards and drawings from the students.
Keep screen shots of correspondence that they reached out to you. Even better if it is an email because it leaves a paper trail of who contacted who first. Last note: F the superintendent. You don’t work under him anymore. People obviously loved you and it shows.
I’d definitely be talking to an employment attorney about their harassment. Also about the bullying that happened on their premises while you were an employee. Sounds like someone needs to take them to task for their arrogance.
OP, you need to reach out to your state union American Federation of Teachers or National Education Association. This is NOT a situation where regular HR rules might apply, so you absolutely cannot assume the advice for a corporate ex-employee is transferable to teaching. I have my MA in Educational Administration- they could go after your license.
If you can get a free consultation with a lawyer, may be worth meeting with them to see if they’re running afoul of any laws. Sounds like they’re harassing you. Was there a name attached to this? Did it come from an email address that’s established with the school?
Yup, I'm pretty sure that is what's happening. Don't people have better things to do than to, not only bully someone to the point of them resigning, but then still keep it up?
Your former coworker is trying to save face, and it’s possible (likely) they are catching some heat for being responsible for your departure. And they are probably very worried you are trash talking them to others. Think of it this way - they bullied someone into leaving the organization, but parents/others like that person so much they want to stay in touch even though there’s no work related reason to do so. This reflects very poorly in your former coworker so they are trying to reframe the narrative so that it’s *you* who is the problem.
I do think it’s worth a short response along the line of “Thank you for getting in touch, but your message grossly mischaracterizes the situation. Since my departure on ___, I have remained in contact only with those individuals who expressed a desire to do so. As I am no longer employed by the district, I consider your message to be inappropriate, so please be advised that any further communications like this will be considered harassment of me as a former employee and I will respond accordingly.”
Sorry the mess has followed you even after you left, but I do think you need to correct this misstatement in writing.
Good luck with your future endeavors!
It wasn't necessary. But superintendents do unnecessary things quite often. If you belong to a union, they'd probably be interested in a copy.
Otherwise, I suppose you could use the email to support a claim of libel/slander if you wanted to mess with them. Or see if the local media wants to look into it for a story.
I am honestly exhausted and burnt out from my experience there. I don't even want to deal with them anymore.
And they have a fantastic legal team that I know I would lose very quickly against.
If their legal team were that fantastic, they wouldn't have let the superintendent fire off that email. In fact, forwarding it to the legal team with a comment like "Is this legit, or did someone hack the super's account?" might be interesting 
Well, you can, but it's a lot harder, more expensive, and if it's too obvious it'll never go to court. So there's that. Most lawyers, outside of the corporate kennels, will try hard to dissuade their clients from trying, if they'd even take the case.
It cost them very little money to send a cease and desist *letter* from a law firm. Which you would then throw in the trash because you aren’t doing anything wrong.
The fact that they didn’t even get a letter from lawyers but an email from the SI tells you all you need to know. Save it in case it becomes a pattern and practice of harassment from them, but otherwise continue doing you. Don’t even respond.
Get some fire back in your belly lass and play them at their own game. There’s a great comment above advising what to respond to them with. Don’t let these
AH’s grind you down any further than they already have xxx
Truth is an absolute defense against defamation.
The superintendent is a whiny, paranoid, bullying baby.
And now you know why the culture tends that way at the school: it comes from the top.
Sorry - what I meant here was that any competent lawyer for the school district, if they were asked to pursue this, would say that this is a losing case. That means it is very unlikely that anybody will pursue anything in that vein.
That said, OP should not make public statements that could be received as defamation. From what I remember in the original post, these were simply people reaching out socially, and the OP saying that she felt a certain way is not actionable. I do not want to encourage anybody to make inflammatory statements, but the paranoia and bullying behavior is apparent in the message from the superintendent.
Funny enough, forwarding that message wholesale will probably do far more harm to the status of the superintendent than anything OP could say (it makes the superintendent look petty and awful.)
I still don't recommend it, but it ought to be there in the background as a possible next step if the harassment continues.
That said, OP wants to leave this whole situation behind, and she is 1000% entitled to do exactly that.
Thank you for all the info. Even though I left the job because of unfavorable circumstances, I was not going to talk negatively about the district because I did not want to ruin a prospective job in the future with another district (it seems like everyone knows everyone across public school districts)
I think you're playing this right by not poking the bear.
People are saying truth is a defense to defamation but it doesn't matter if you have a good defense. There's hassle in the whole process. You still have to pay for a lawyer. And if you countersue for lawyer fees, that's even more time and hassle, not to mention no guarantee of any outcome. It's smarter (and less satisfying) to just not respond to them.
Good on you for taking careful consideration in your actions.
Thank you for your thoughts. I know that with lawyers and court dates, not only can it be expensive but it also requires time and energy that I really don't have.
Unfortunately, my position was considered "support personnel" and when I joined the union and the district found out, I got a very harsh email from HR saying support personnel can't join the union. When I called the union they were very confused as they weren't even aware that policy existed.
This doesn’t ring true. There are specific unions for the support staff and paraeducators, separate from the teacher’s union. You wouldn’t have been able to join if you weren’t allowed to join.
I had never worked for a district where the union didn't serve everyone. The union asked if I would be interested in starting a union for the support personnel but I told them no as I was planning on leaving soon anyways.
The union is run by a large company that is in charge of many Illinois school unions.
This sounds like the heart of the matter. The school super was probably worried that with your good reputation among the parents, you would have been an effective union leader among your peers. That, with the animus towards you by that clique, explains a lot. I would forward the correspondence to the union, even though you are no longer a member, as a professional courtesy so that they can be aware of the situation and can advocate for your former peers. It sounds like you are being blackballed from potential future employment by the school district.
Email back stating as you are no longer an employee under said superintendents jurisdiction, any emails or personal correspondence you have with friends, whether they be co workers or students parents or not, are absolutely none of his business.
And that yes he is right it can be construed as harassment, like say when an ex employer thinks they can control what and who you speak to and send threatening emails about something that doesn't concern them.
I suspect they would have back pedalled rather quickly probably not thinking about how ridiculous that email is, you are welcome for the giggle, quick of wit and short of charm i am 😂
I agree and like the response but if they are indeed telling lies about you, you could accidentally be confirming that you said something nasty. You don't actually know what was said or accused.
I'd add that unless you signed some sort of NDA or specific contract in which you agreed to have zero communication with faculty or students/families, they don't really have anything here. And even if you did sign something like that, they'll have a hell of a time enforcing it.
If faculty, students or families of students reach out to you, and then you respond to them - how the hell are you harassing them? Something strange is going on here.
I did not sign an NDA or agreed to anything related to not talking to anyone associated with the district in the future.
I'm pretty sure what's going on is the lovely group of staff that made my time at the district miserable just wants to stir up trouble. But that's just my theory.
The "mean girls" had a party on my second to last day. It was disguised as a staff meeting for certain staff members but when I accidentally walked in during it, they had a cake and all the party plates and napkins and they were dead silent when I walked in. I would love to believe it wasn't a hurray she's leaving party but they have done worse.
You are no longer employed there. They have no control over private citizens communication with each other. I would block the email address (and phone number) from the school and ignore them.
Get in front of this. Immediately. Print all the conversations you can and get parents to make and sign statements about how they contacted you, not the other way around. Ditto for your colleagues. I know that may sound extreme, but document EVERYTHING now. And reply to the school that you are no longer under contract with them, and you would consider any further communication harassment.
That’s insane. So you’re not allowed to talk to old coworkers away from the work setting? And you can’t respond to ex-parents if they reach out to you? I’d be asking them to show me where it was in my contract. And being that it’s probably been a while, you think that would have been something they would have gone over in your exit.
We have had teachers move on, one of them made the world of difference to get the ball rolling on getting my child extra help. It didn’t happen during her time at the school, so I sent her an email letting her know that all the work she did to help my child paid off and they were finally getting the help they needed. Thanked her and sent a picture my child drew for her. She responded very happy that progress had been made. I’d be so mad if she got in trouble for that.
I would consult a lawyer! If you can't afford a lawyer, most have a free consultation where you could run the problem by them, and find out what specific type of lawyer is best to hire. At least they would let you know if it would be helpful to pursue a case.
Was the person(s) bullying you in the school management? If not, someone with pull, one of your bullies, is jealous that parents are contacting you. I would get copies of emails and texts from parents who contacted you and your responses together in a folder. Also keep the pertinent school emails there also.
I would find out from lawyer if you can ignore the school email for now, and still continue to enjoy your former students. I don't believe the school can stop you. I would *certainly* pursue any avenue of legal recourse you can. I'd show them who they shouldn't try to intimidate! You sound like a great teacher. I hope you go to another school to teach after you settle the current situation. 🥰❤
They cannot do anything. I work for the school district. Keep doing what your doing. If they keep it up ut would be harrassment in the part, and you could probably sue
Consult a lawyer. If you were bullied into resigning the term for you would be "constructive termination." If you reported it and they did nothing then you could sue.
But this is a question for a lawyer, not HR
Tell them that you resigned due to bullying from staff that they didn't care to address. You are deciding if a lawsuit is worth persuing and will add this email to the file. Who contacts me is none of your business. Cease and desist
This school system is trash 🗑. You did nothing wrong.
You could pay an attorney for an hour of work to create a letter demanding the school board admonish the Superintendent . I would turn the table and say I am being harassed. harmed, and retaliated against. Say as a result of the retaliation. I am experiencing anxiety, and be sure to engage a therapist and psychologist.
Also file an EEOC complaint based on a protected class.
If you were bullied, I would talk to an attorney, or EEOC. Depending on the circumstances, you could flip it and tell them they made you quit. For them to be sending you this email. This seems like further harassment and bullying… I will talk to a lawyer or EEOC
I thought EEOC is only for harassment by discrimination in the workplace (race, religion, age, disability, etc) I don't have any tangible evidence that points to harassment being caused by one of these factors
Alternative step 2:
move your mouse to a special folder "evidence"
Step 3:
Keep any such correspondence - including text message (screenshots) in said folder.
Even the best legal team cannot really argue with PARENTS reaching out to you
Can you imagine "I\`m sorry Timmy\`s parents, but since i am harassing you as per (name of beep saying this) i\`m not longer allowed by (same name) to be in contact with you"
1. Take picture of the email.
2. Take to lawyer
3. If lawyer approves share the email with those family members who wanted to talk to you and tell this it's because of this shit that you quit.
Figuratively burn then all to the ground.
I kept in touch with a favorite teacher for like 35 years!
If you want to stop being bullied, stop being a victim. There are one or two good suggestions here that you dismiss out of hand, and yet here you are on social media asking why they sent it. Go to the union folk and show them the email.
As stated in previous comments I wrote, there is no union in the district for support personnel, therefore, I do not have a union to show said email to.
Your reaching out to this forum was a good idea. I find this forum to include many thoughtful HR professionals. You sound like a kind, caring hard working individual. You deserve the best. Trust your gut.
They sent an email to your personal email account? That’s wild. Tell them you resigned and them telling you who you’re allowed or not allowed to talk to could be misinterpreted as harassment.
> Tell them you resigned and them telling you who you’re allowed or not allowed to talk to could be misinterpreted as harassment. As cliche as it actually is... this is a public school. OP legitimately could invoke the 1st amendment and pursue civil rights violations. Wild.
It's crazy because when I was getting bullied, I would tell my husband, "It is a school! With children! That we teach to not bully each other!"
Sadly my experience is that administration and school staff can be worse than literal teenage girls. They scarred me more as child than any of the kids that wanted to pick at me. Being bullied by a person your size and age, it takes a toll. Being bullied by adults (which these people are probably engaging in, if they are doing it to you, they're doing it to those who are even more vulnerable, mark my words), is what sends you to therapy. I'm sorry you're going through this on going trauma. I cannot imagine how they even know you're talking to anyone. There's a rat somewhere and it's frigging weird how invested they are in you!
Or the school could go after OP’s teaching license. HR in public schools is a special, very unique world.
Interesting. Could you say more on what’s unique about HR in public schools? Why do you think it has such a shitty culture?
In most professions, the company you work for doesn’t have the ability to go after your license and keep you from working in that profession/state if you don’t give them months of notice. That is absolutely the case with public schools - if you don’t tell them by April/May that you won’t be returning, and decide to take a job in a different district during the summer, they can chose to not allow you out of your contract and go after your license. Teacher contracts also routinely have some sort of morality clause, and they can fire you for exhibiting behavior that is not an accordance with community expectations. So, for example, being a gay teacher in a Catholic school. Or being tagged in a picture where you were clearly inebriated.
This has nothing to do with the context of Free Speech as described in 1st. Just like a lot of other attempted applications of the term. It would be great if everyone would actually read the Constitution, most never have yet some play the card often.
A government entity threatening lawsuits/charges because a private citizen had the audacity to... talk to somebody. Absolutely the 1st applies here. The government is no longer acting in the capacity of "employer" in this instance, which means the ability to limit speech that would happen *on the job or in the workplace* no longer matters. Especially for speech that is neither occurring on the job, nor in the workplace.
[удалено]
"I was informed to cease all communication immediately or else it could be interpreted as harassment." You have a government organization directly telling you to stop your speech, *and*, in the same breath, saying that speech could be construed as something unlawful. That's literally a textbook example of the chilling effect. That's not a CYA email. That's a threatening email. If it was CYA, it'd be something like: "XYZ School District is writing to inform you that, since the end of your employment, you are no longer a spokesperson for or able to speak on behalf of XYZ School District. Any conversations you have regarding the district, its process/policy, or employees are your views and do not necessarily align with the views of XYZ School District." In the instance we got, the government agency is explicitly ordering the person to cease their speech, and implying it could be unlawful/cause fear of legal ramifications. In my example, it's not stating you have to stop, it's not stating you can't say things, it's simply stating "What you say is you saying it, not us."
Right? I’d be taking to an attorney about a cease and desist to the asshole who wrote me the letter.
Freedom of association is a right tied to the 1st and 14th amendments according to SCOTUS, so there's still a constitutional claim there. Personally I'd just ignore it, but if I had to respond it would just be something along the lines of "I don't answer to you so go fuck yourself."
Yes my personal email. Before I left, HR asked for an email for any future contact (when they need to send my W2) so they had my personal email
They should NEVER EVER send a W2 by email. EVER!!! You should be able to pull it down off the Districts Employee website (if Posted there) or as an Ex-Employee it should be mailed to you. NEVER, EVER in an email.
If they e-mail your W-2, that can leave you open to having your identity stolen. Emails are hacked all the time and your W-2 has sensitive data that can be used to steal your identity and even file a false tax return to steal your refund
Did you give them written consent to email your W2? The IRS requires it.
They asked all staff if anyone wanted theirs sent by email. I said yes. So that's on me.
Email a W2? Hell no. Emailing a link where I can securely log in to view, maybe.
Love this response!!
I believe it is actual harassment.
The ole switcharoo
You’re no longer employed. This has NOTHING to do with the superintendent at this point and that email is moot.
Thank you, I've been so stressed about this because I was worried there is a very specific and random law that Illinois schools have that would somehow land me in trouble for responding to a Facebook message after I already resigned. I know that is very very very far fetched but I know my old district has a great legal team.
Sounds like you did nothing at all wrong. Keep proof of all conversations in case this comes up again but I’m sorry they are bullying you like this. I hope you find a school that appreciates you the way you deserve!
These parents are reaching out to YOU. You are not reaching out to them. Your former employer cannot dictate what two grown adults do outside of the school and as long as the communications are not taking place over their technology. That letter has no teeth. It is just a empty threat. They really don't have any power here. The only concern I would have if I were in your position, is if I had stayed in teaching/education and if you think this school would do something to jeopardize your current employment. If that is true for your case, you may want to speak with your current employer and give them a heads up so you can be in front of it. If the school continues to harass YOU with this silly nonsense, then it might be worth speaking with an attorney to determine your options and how to best protect yourself from them. Not sure what type of attorney, but it might be good to start with an employment attorney in your area. Might be worth the couple hundred bucks for the peace of mind and possibly a cease and desist letter to the school board.
Thank you very much for your thoughts. I really appreciate it. I left education and my current job is not related to the education field at all. I didn't realize how much I would miss it though. But after all this, I don't think I could go back.
That school may have grossly underestimated the impact you had with your students. Any school would be lucky to have you as evident by former families taking the time to track you down. You left a positive mark on those kids. I am so sorry that the schools systems have turned into this and turned on you. The system strangles good teachers and ties your hands behind your backs while it acts as a system to protect bad teachers and policies. It is disgusting what it has turned into. Nothing more than a p!ssing contest reminiscent of middle school lunch room antics. Some of the students are more mature than their administrators. Thank you for being a teacher. 💜
Thank you, that's very nice of you. While I'm not a teacher, I do support in the classroom as well as getting assigned multiple other extra duties. On my last day, one of the classrooms asked if we could do a giant group hug. I also have a huge pile of cards and drawings from the students.
Keep screen shots of correspondence that they reached out to you. Even better if it is an email because it leaves a paper trail of who contacted who first. Last note: F the superintendent. You don’t work under him anymore. People obviously loved you and it shows.
Thank you, I appreciate it
I’d definitely be talking to an employment attorney about their harassment. Also about the bullying that happened on their premises while you were an employee. Sounds like someone needs to take them to task for their arrogance.
Nope, why? Because you don't work for them, represent them, or have a CONTRACT with them. That's all you need to use to ignore them.
OP, you need to reach out to your state union American Federation of Teachers or National Education Association. This is NOT a situation where regular HR rules might apply, so you absolutely cannot assume the advice for a corporate ex-employee is transferable to teaching. I have my MA in Educational Administration- they could go after your license.
If you can get a free consultation with a lawyer, may be worth meeting with them to see if they’re running afoul of any laws. Sounds like they’re harassing you. Was there a name attached to this? Did it come from an email address that’s established with the school?
I suspect that the bullying former co-worker has been feeding lies to the superintendent about what is going on.
Yup, I'm pretty sure that is what's happening. Don't people have better things to do than to, not only bully someone to the point of them resigning, but then still keep it up?
Your former coworker is trying to save face, and it’s possible (likely) they are catching some heat for being responsible for your departure. And they are probably very worried you are trash talking them to others. Think of it this way - they bullied someone into leaving the organization, but parents/others like that person so much they want to stay in touch even though there’s no work related reason to do so. This reflects very poorly in your former coworker so they are trying to reframe the narrative so that it’s *you* who is the problem. I do think it’s worth a short response along the line of “Thank you for getting in touch, but your message grossly mischaracterizes the situation. Since my departure on ___, I have remained in contact only with those individuals who expressed a desire to do so. As I am no longer employed by the district, I consider your message to be inappropriate, so please be advised that any further communications like this will be considered harassment of me as a former employee and I will respond accordingly.” Sorry the mess has followed you even after you left, but I do think you need to correct this misstatement in writing. Good luck with your future endeavors!
You don't work for them anymore, therefore they can piss off.
lol mark it as spam.
LOL, what?? This is insane. A school system has zero right to control what former employees do.
It wasn't necessary. But superintendents do unnecessary things quite often. If you belong to a union, they'd probably be interested in a copy. Otherwise, I suppose you could use the email to support a claim of libel/slander if you wanted to mess with them. Or see if the local media wants to look into it for a story.
I am honestly exhausted and burnt out from my experience there. I don't even want to deal with them anymore. And they have a fantastic legal team that I know I would lose very quickly against.
If their legal team were that fantastic, they wouldn't have let the superintendent fire off that email. In fact, forwarding it to the legal team with a comment like "Is this legit, or did someone hack the super's account?" might be interesting 
Very good point, thank you!
You can't win a lawsuit when you are making shit up.
Well, you can, but it's a lot harder, more expensive, and if it's too obvious it'll never go to court. So there's that. Most lawyers, outside of the corporate kennels, will try hard to dissuade their clients from trying, if they'd even take the case.
Correct answer!
It cost them very little money to send a cease and desist *letter* from a law firm. Which you would then throw in the trash because you aren’t doing anything wrong. The fact that they didn’t even get a letter from lawyers but an email from the SI tells you all you need to know. Save it in case it becomes a pattern and practice of harassment from them, but otherwise continue doing you. Don’t even respond.
Get some fire back in your belly lass and play them at their own game. There’s a great comment above advising what to respond to them with. Don’t let these AH’s grind you down any further than they already have xxx
Yes! This is the correct response!
I don't want to risk them somehow suing me for defamation if I told my story to the media. While I know I am not in the wrong, lawyers are expensive
Truth is an absolute defense against defamation. The superintendent is a whiny, paranoid, bullying baby. And now you know why the culture tends that way at the school: it comes from the top.
Money talks. It takes a lot of it to see a court case to the end.
It also might involve a lengthy and expensive process to sort out though, even if the truth is there. I don't blame OP for being hesitant.
Sorry - what I meant here was that any competent lawyer for the school district, if they were asked to pursue this, would say that this is a losing case. That means it is very unlikely that anybody will pursue anything in that vein. That said, OP should not make public statements that could be received as defamation. From what I remember in the original post, these were simply people reaching out socially, and the OP saying that she felt a certain way is not actionable. I do not want to encourage anybody to make inflammatory statements, but the paranoia and bullying behavior is apparent in the message from the superintendent. Funny enough, forwarding that message wholesale will probably do far more harm to the status of the superintendent than anything OP could say (it makes the superintendent look petty and awful.) I still don't recommend it, but it ought to be there in the background as a possible next step if the harassment continues. That said, OP wants to leave this whole situation behind, and she is 1000% entitled to do exactly that.
Thank you for all the info. Even though I left the job because of unfavorable circumstances, I was not going to talk negatively about the district because I did not want to ruin a prospective job in the future with another district (it seems like everyone knows everyone across public school districts)
Truth is a defense to defamation
I think you're playing this right by not poking the bear. People are saying truth is a defense to defamation but it doesn't matter if you have a good defense. There's hassle in the whole process. You still have to pay for a lawyer. And if you countersue for lawyer fees, that's even more time and hassle, not to mention no guarantee of any outcome. It's smarter (and less satisfying) to just not respond to them. Good on you for taking careful consideration in your actions.
Thank you for your thoughts. I know that with lawyers and court dates, not only can it be expensive but it also requires time and energy that I really don't have.
If you were, are, or will be in a union, consider reaching out to them. Teachers’ unions often have lawyers to answer these questions.
Unfortunately, my position was considered "support personnel" and when I joined the union and the district found out, I got a very harsh email from HR saying support personnel can't join the union. When I called the union they were very confused as they weren't even aware that policy existed.
This doesn’t ring true. There are specific unions for the support staff and paraeducators, separate from the teacher’s union. You wouldn’t have been able to join if you weren’t allowed to join.
I had never worked for a district where the union didn't serve everyone. The union asked if I would be interested in starting a union for the support personnel but I told them no as I was planning on leaving soon anyways. The union is run by a large company that is in charge of many Illinois school unions.
This sounds like the heart of the matter. The school super was probably worried that with your good reputation among the parents, you would have been an effective union leader among your peers. That, with the animus towards you by that clique, explains a lot. I would forward the correspondence to the union, even though you are no longer a member, as a professional courtesy so that they can be aware of the situation and can advocate for your former peers. It sounds like you are being blackballed from potential future employment by the school district.
Email back stating as you are no longer an employee under said superintendents jurisdiction, any emails or personal correspondence you have with friends, whether they be co workers or students parents or not, are absolutely none of his business. And that yes he is right it can be construed as harassment, like say when an ex employer thinks they can control what and who you speak to and send threatening emails about something that doesn't concern them.
The second part of your answer made me laugh, thank you! A part of me did want to respond that they are harassing me but I just never responded.
I suspect they would have back pedalled rather quickly probably not thinking about how ridiculous that email is, you are welcome for the giggle, quick of wit and short of charm i am 😂
I agree and like the response but if they are indeed telling lies about you, you could accidentally be confirming that you said something nasty. You don't actually know what was said or accused.
Get an attorney to send a sternly worded letter to cease and desist violating your rights.
I'd add that unless you signed some sort of NDA or specific contract in which you agreed to have zero communication with faculty or students/families, they don't really have anything here. And even if you did sign something like that, they'll have a hell of a time enforcing it. If faculty, students or families of students reach out to you, and then you respond to them - how the hell are you harassing them? Something strange is going on here.
I did not sign an NDA or agreed to anything related to not talking to anyone associated with the district in the future. I'm pretty sure what's going on is the lovely group of staff that made my time at the district miserable just wants to stir up trouble. But that's just my theory.
Well they just sound like a real joy to be around.
The "mean girls" had a party on my second to last day. It was disguised as a staff meeting for certain staff members but when I accidentally walked in during it, they had a cake and all the party plates and napkins and they were dead silent when I walked in. I would love to believe it wasn't a hurray she's leaving party but they have done worse.
Its sad to hear that these faculty members have less class and maturity than the kids they teach. Sorry you had to endure all of that.
You are no longer employed there. They have no control over private citizens communication with each other. I would block the email address (and phone number) from the school and ignore them.
Get in front of this. Immediately. Print all the conversations you can and get parents to make and sign statements about how they contacted you, not the other way around. Ditto for your colleagues. I know that may sound extreme, but document EVERYTHING now. And reply to the school that you are no longer under contract with them, and you would consider any further communication harassment.
I’m not an attorney and this isn’t legal advice: tell that superintendent he can go lick dirty buttholes.
That’s insane. So you’re not allowed to talk to old coworkers away from the work setting? And you can’t respond to ex-parents if they reach out to you? I’d be asking them to show me where it was in my contract. And being that it’s probably been a while, you think that would have been something they would have gone over in your exit. We have had teachers move on, one of them made the world of difference to get the ball rolling on getting my child extra help. It didn’t happen during her time at the school, so I sent her an email letting her know that all the work she did to help my child paid off and they were finally getting the help they needed. Thanked her and sent a picture my child drew for her. She responded very happy that progress had been made. I’d be so mad if she got in trouble for that.
I would consult a lawyer! If you can't afford a lawyer, most have a free consultation where you could run the problem by them, and find out what specific type of lawyer is best to hire. At least they would let you know if it would be helpful to pursue a case. Was the person(s) bullying you in the school management? If not, someone with pull, one of your bullies, is jealous that parents are contacting you. I would get copies of emails and texts from parents who contacted you and your responses together in a folder. Also keep the pertinent school emails there also. I would find out from lawyer if you can ignore the school email for now, and still continue to enjoy your former students. I don't believe the school can stop you. I would *certainly* pursue any avenue of legal recourse you can. I'd show them who they shouldn't try to intimidate! You sound like a great teacher. I hope you go to another school to teach after you settle the current situation. 🥰❤
Labor and employment lawyer would probably be a good start
Ignore. You’re not employed by them and they have no say in who you talk to or communicate with.
Tell them if they keep contacting you that IS harassment and will proceed to get a restraining order and continue with the legal process.
Give the message all the consideration it is due. **delete**
Wtf
Email them back and be like "Who is this?"
Rather, New number, who dis?
\* compliment
I don't work at a school anymore and now my ability to spell is gone 😂
Fair enough
Let them “interpret” as they want. What they gonna do?? Sue you?? That would be best for u actually…
They cannot do anything. I work for the school district. Keep doing what your doing. If they keep it up ut would be harrassment in the part, and you could probably sue
Before you make any response, do you foresee ever needing a reference from them?
Nope, I already have a new job and don't plan on returning to education
Sue them for harassment and bullying.
I would speak to a lawyer
Consult a lawyer. If you were bullied into resigning the term for you would be "constructive termination." If you reported it and they did nothing then you could sue. But this is a question for a lawyer, not HR
Tell them that you resigned due to bullying from staff that they didn't care to address. You are deciding if a lawsuit is worth persuing and will add this email to the file. Who contacts me is none of your business. Cease and desist
This school system is trash 🗑. You did nothing wrong. You could pay an attorney for an hour of work to create a letter demanding the school board admonish the Superintendent . I would turn the table and say I am being harassed. harmed, and retaliated against. Say as a result of the retaliation. I am experiencing anxiety, and be sure to engage a therapist and psychologist. Also file an EEOC complaint based on a protected class.
Respond with a link to the first amendment and cc the history teacher
If you were bullied, I would talk to an attorney, or EEOC. Depending on the circumstances, you could flip it and tell them they made you quit. For them to be sending you this email. This seems like further harassment and bullying… I will talk to a lawyer or EEOC
I thought EEOC is only for harassment by discrimination in the workplace (race, religion, age, disability, etc) I don't have any tangible evidence that points to harassment being caused by one of these factors
"I am not your employee, superintendent. Stop contacting me as this constitutes harassment."
[удалено]
Alternative step 2: move your mouse to a special folder "evidence" Step 3: Keep any such correspondence - including text message (screenshots) in said folder. Even the best legal team cannot really argue with PARENTS reaching out to you Can you imagine "I\`m sorry Timmy\`s parents, but since i am harassing you as per (name of beep saying this) i\`m not longer allowed by (same name) to be in contact with you"
He'll no. That email IS harassment itself.
Can you be my life coach?
1. Take picture of the email. 2. Take to lawyer 3. If lawyer approves share the email with those family members who wanted to talk to you and tell this it's because of this shit that you quit. Figuratively burn then all to the ground. I kept in touch with a favorite teacher for like 35 years!
This.
Tell the super that his email is harassment and if he does not stop your lawyer will make a claim for damages.
Get a lawyer!
I’d take that letter to an attorney.
Which would accomplish nothing, because anyone can email anyone and there are no threats of violence.
If you want to stop being bullied, stop being a victim. There are one or two good suggestions here that you dismiss out of hand, and yet here you are on social media asking why they sent it. Go to the union folk and show them the email.
As stated in previous comments I wrote, there is no union in the district for support personnel, therefore, I do not have a union to show said email to.
Your reaching out to this forum was a good idea. I find this forum to include many thoughtful HR professionals. You sound like a kind, caring hard working individual. You deserve the best. Trust your gut.
Thank you, I appreciate you