Taking Action
That morning, Kimberley Jones had one thing on her mind: confronting her daughter's teacher.
Kimberley's daughter Kayla had been very unhappy lately, and when she asked what was wrong, she burst into tears. She started by thinking her baby was being bullied, but then she delved deeper and discovered something surprising.
A Loving Relationship
Kimberley Jones was an adoring mother to Kayla, 9 years old. Their bond as mother and daughter was very strong, and they always did everything together.
Kimberley could see Kayla had been crying when she came home one day with red eyes. Their bond was often defined by talking about everything, but Kim knew something was wrong when Kayla clammed up.
Strong And Independent
In Kimberley's view, she was an incredibly strong woman. As someone who had dealt with a lot in her life, she felt she needed to be a superwoman to care for Kayla and herself.
In spite of the fact that Kim and James were divorced, they had a good co-parenting relationship in order to care for Kayla, who was their beloved child.
A Sudden Change
Normally Kimberley and Kayla did not argue, they usually settled their differences on friendly terms. However, Kayla's persona had changed for the worse.
There was no way Kimberley could reason with her since she was always moody and angry. She thought Kayla was showing signs of puberty, but she was concerned something else was going on.
Mood Swings
Her mother hardly ever got a greeting from Kayla these days, as she just stomped into the house and headed straight for her bedroom.
Kimberley couldn't handle her mood anymore, so she tried talking things out with her. Immediately, she heard a “no!” followed by a shoe being thrown. The problems Kimberley faced seemed more complex than she had anticipated.
Trying Again
By now, Kimberley had not spoken to her daughter for days, and she missed her. Even though they were both at home, there was a strange feeling.
The next time Kimberley attempted to reconcile with Kayla, she was met with Kayla yelling, “I hate my life! ”
Opening Up
As Kimberley demanded Kayla open the door, Kayla had no choice but to comply. As a mother, she couldn't stand listening to her daughter speak like that. What was the matter with her?
Upon hearing the lock open, she walked into the dark, gloomy bedroom. The only thing Kayla could say was, "I can't do this anymore."
A Serious Problem
Kimberley hurried to her daughter's side. There was no doubt she had been crying nonstop, but Kim had never seen her in such a state before.
She asked Kayla what was wrong, and she said the school had become unbearable and that she wanted out. In horror, Kimberley widened her eyes, begging for an explanation. There was a serious problem.
A Shoulder To Cry On
Kayla was beyond distraught. It was clear that she was defeated. Despite Kimberley's efforts, she didn't get any further answers. Talking was out of the question for Kayla.
She was about to give up when Kayla spoke up. Kimberley looked baffled as she said, "I'm lost. I don't know who I am anymore." Never before had she heard something like this.
Confusion
Immediately, Kimberley sat down with Kayla on the floor. It was crucial that she understood what she meant. Until Kayla spoke up, she wouldn't leave the room.
As a result of many hours of crying, Kayla finally opened up. In her explanation, she expressed her confusion about who she should be and her experience of having other people call her another name. In shock, Kimberley dropped her jaw.
Had She Missed The Signs?
Where was Kayla getting these thoughts from? She was nine, and even though Kayla was a tomboy, she never thought that she felt “different.” Was it possible that Kimberley had missed all the signs?
She felt so bad. But then again, Kayla said the kids at school were calling her by another name. Could that be where all this started? Kimberley knew she had to get to the bottom of it.
What Was She Going To Do?
Kimberley’s mind flashed with endless possibilities and thoughts. Why were they calling Kayla by another name, and who started all of this?
Her daughter was in distress, and she needed to find a way to make things better for her. The problem was she didn’t know where to start. This was something she had never imagined she would be dealing with.
No Solution Yet
As the weeks passed, Kimberley was no closer to finding a solution, and Kayla was still in a bad space. Every day was the same, she’d come home and go straight to her room to cry.
Kimberley was up in arms. Her daughter was suffering, and she urgently needed to get help before it was too late. She had seen stories like this, and she was not going to let her daughter be a victim.
The Problem Ran Deeper
Kimberley knew that the problem was at school, so she needed to confront the teachers and principal about what was going on.
But first, Kayla needed psychological help. All the thoughts she had swimming in her mind were unhealthy, and she needed to talk to a professional. Kimberley made an appointment with the school psychologist.
Getting Help
When they got there, Kimberley was surprised that the psychologist wanted to speak to her first. She had something to say, and Kimberley became increasingly worried.
The psychologist informed her that Kayla had been to her office almost every day, and although she was happy to listen to her and help, the real problem was what was going on in the school.
No Feelings Were Spared
Kimberley knew what she had to do, but not before the psychologist revealed something else. No feelings were spared when the doctor stated the facts.
She reprimanded Kim for not confronting the school sooner. Kimberley couldn’t believe the audacity of the doctor. She promptly took Kayla by the hand and marched out. She was not about to be scolded by a school psychologist.
Feeling Guilty
Although Kimberley knew the doctor was right to some extent, in her defense, she didn’t know what Kayla was going through until very recently.
She had hidden her hurt feelings so well. Kimberley felt guilty about not confronting the problem sooner but vowed to save her daughter, and everyone involved in her pain was going to pay.
Time For A Talk
Kimberley was able to get another piece of information from Kayla. She mentioned that her mom should talk to her teacher.
She understood that it was a good idea, but her main focus was to get to the principal to talk to him about what the other kids were doing to her daughter. Hopefully, she would finally be getting some answers.
The Principal’s Office
She sat impatiently and waited outside the principal’s office. She could see things were busy, but she had made an appointment and could see that she was next in line. There seemed to be a flurry of angry parents in the school foyer.
When she finally got inside, the principal was sweating profusely, trying to diffuse what seemed like a heated situation.
A Desperate Plea
The principal didn’t really bat an eyelid when she told him about what was going on with Kayla. He seemed to have a “heard it all before” look on his face.
Kimberley didn’t care, she needed to help her daughter no matter what. She was sinking into a deeper depression every day, and unless she solved the problem, she could lose her forever.
A Huge Raucous
As she left the office, she could hear the raised voices of the other parents standing in the hallway. It sounded like they were baying for someone’s blood. It became more aggravated when the principal refused to talk to anyone.
Kimberley didn’t want to get into the middle of what was going on, so she turned on her heels and left. But not before she heard something that roused her attention.
A Familiar Name
When Kimberley heard what they were chanting, she stopped dead in her tracks. “Down with Miss Pridmore, down!” Kim decided to stay and hear what the commotion was all about.
Miss Pridmore happened to be Kayla’s teacher, and she wanted to know why the other parents wanted her to go “down.” She would soon find out more than she bargained for.
The Truth Revealed
They were hurling out disturbing words and accusing Miss Pridmore of harming their children. Kim knew there was something wrong as she saw Miss Pridmore standing by her classroom door a distance away.
Before she wanted to go to talk to her, she was pulled back by another parent telling her not to go talk to her. “She’s teaching our children about transgender people and telling them to “try being gay” or try going by the opposite gender.” Kimberley’s blood ran cold.
Not Part Of the School Curriculum
Kimberley was by no means a bigot, but she was against certain teachings to her nine-year-old. Miss Pidmore had no right to be teaching something other than what was in the school curriculum.
Was this why Kayla was questioning herself? Kim was outraged, and she promptly marched all the way to Miss Pridmore’s class. She wanted answers.
A Talk With Miss Pridmore
As she stepped inside the classroom, Miss Pridmore sat on the desk, almost like she was waiting for the parents to come to her.
She got what she wanted, and Kim had a myriad of questions in her head. For starters, what was she teaching? Before she could ask anything, Miss Pridmore spoke up, “Oh, you must be Kyle’s mom.” Kimberley was dumbfounded.
No Point In Arguing
Kim had to defend Kayla and promptly said, “No, I’m Kayla’s mom.” Miss Pridmore got up and strolled through the classroom aisles.
“But I can see that she wants to be a boy, and thus I gave her that name.” Kimberley couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The fury was clear on her face. She didn’t have time to argue with this woman, she knew what she had to do.
Protesting
By now, Kimberley had walked back to the foyer to the other seething parents. Her face was beet red, and she felt like her head was going to explode with rage.
She now understood why the parents were angry, and she immediately joined in on their protest. But then she thought of something that could possibly help them in their cause.
The Culprit
Kimberley quickly put two and two together. It was Miss Pridmore that was causing her daughter’s misery. Kayla was questioning herself because she was being called by a boy’s name.
Kim immediately got James on the line. She was sure that something like this would get him to help them out. After all, it involved his daughter.
Protest Action
As the chants and protest action grew louder and rowdier in the school hallways, Miss Pridmore barricaded herself in her classroom.
The parents banged against her door, demanding that she come out to face them. One parent came running, crowbar in hand, to force the door open when James arrived just in time. The parents stepped away as James announced himself to Miss Pridmore. She promptly opened the door in relief.
Problem Solved?
She relished in the fact that the Chief of Police had come to “save” her. But little did she know just who the police chief was. She had hurt his daughter, and he let her know just how he felt. Of course, she protested, but then Principal Evans finally stepped out of his office with a suspension letter. Miss Pridmore was suspended effective immediately.
Although the parents were pleased with the outcome, Kim and James still had to pick up the pieces of their daughter’s heart.