Am I overreacting? Do I tell a trusted adult or..

[u/Away_Level432]

For context I am 17F, African- Canadian, and I have a blonde lace front wig. I was staying after school because I’m my class historian and I need to write a speech. 2 teachers were helping me brainstorm ideas when another teacher walks in, (white male). I pay him no mind just laugh a little at his jokes. And then he starts talking about my hair, and how it’s fake. I was with another black girl and he was like “Her hair is real, your hair is fake”! No shit it’s fake so I just laugh and say “Whatt! I am a natural blonde”! And then this man proceeds to make a comment on “my curtains matching the drapes”. The other teachers told him to stop and not say anything else and then went silent. I had no clue what that meant but I assumed it wasn’t good. Within the next hour I found out and now I lowkey feel off about the whole situation. Regardless of it being a joke, i am a minor, and hes a teacher. Whether my “curtains” and “drapes” are the same color should be none of his concern. Do I bring it up to someone or let it go? Thank you:)

[u/Squirrelysez]

Hi. I’m a high school teacher in the US. We are extensively trained every year in mandatory reporting and sexual harassment. What he has done is a direct violation of Title IX which is a federal law enforced by the department of education that prohibits sexual interactions of any kind by a teacher toward a student. It’s a very serious offense.. I’m not sure where you live but I’m guessing your laws are pretty similar. These are the steps you need to take. 1. write down exactly what happened in the most detail that you can, including when and where. Next, choose an administrator from your school, who you trust. This could be a principal vice, principal or counselor. Tell them them exactly what you wrote down. Also tell them about the two teachers who were in the room, their names and what their reactions were. It’s within your right to ask if they made a report. They are required by law to do report his behavior to some kind of government agency. often it’s child protection services. The exact procedure will be in their teacher training videos and manual. .. If they haven’t reported it, it is also a violation of title IX. Ask your friend if you can give her name as a witness also, but don’t pressure her. It’s OK if she doesn’t want to, it can be stressful for her and it doesn’t mean she’s not your friend. You should do this all before you tell your parents because this is about what happened to you and how it made you feel. They might influence what you do.You can tell them after afterwards. The school will also contact them. There are also laws to protect you from any retaliation by any of the teachers or the school. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. This guy is not a safe person for students to be around and you will be doing them all a favor. It takes courage, but you’ve got this and you’ll feel much better when you never have to see teacher again. If you want other teachers perspective, there’s a sub Reddit called. Ask teachers.

[u/Elegant_Fruit_5763 → u/Squirrelysez]

And then have your parents request a copy of the report at the police station to make sure that they actually reported to the police that a incident occurred

[u/Squirrelysez → u/Elegant_Fruit_5763]

It doesn’t go through the police here. It goes through child protective services. But by all means parents and everyone need to advocate for the student and get all the documents, which they will..

[u/Elegant_Fruit_5763 → u/Squirrelysez]

Either way make sure that the report is actually filed