Yesterday I wrote about the North Carolina teacher who used the “L” Word, (Loser) with his students. He wrote it on their papers occasionally as a way to motivate the students with humor and relate to them using their language. I made it clear in that blog that it is not funny, motivational, or appropriate to call students a loser in any way, for any reason.

As troubling as it was to hear of a professional educator using the term loser with students, an even more distressing event happened as a result.

The mother of a sixth-grader who noticed the word on her child’s paper objected. She spoke to the teacher and the school principal. She was promised that it would not happen again. It did, and she more than objected. She pressed for a suspension of the teacher.

As a result of this mother’s stance in defense of her daughter, the twelve-year-old child has now become the target of harassment and bullying. Close to 100 threatening text messages have been received by the daughter.

I respect the mother’s and teacher’s rights to duke this out in the legal system. But parents, leave the girl out of it. That she is getting threats and harassment is a sign that you all have work to do with your own children. Use this opportunity to teach about bullying and mud-slinging. Use this Loser lesson for the benefit of all your children. Or they will all end up losing.

Chick Moorman