Parent threatens another parent on school premises

What was the issue addressed?

A parent verbally threatened another parent on school grounds at the end of the day. They alleged a bullying situation between two’s children. The threats were aggressive in nature.

What happened?

The school investigated the parent’s allegation of bullying and did not support the allegations. The school sought the advice of the Local Authority regarding the parent’s behaviour. The matter was discussed between the Headteacher and the Chair. A letter was sent to the threatened parent explaining the actions that had been taken. A poster was put up at the school about respectful behaviour and a letter sent to all parents. The LA policy set out the steps to be taken.

The parent who had been threatened was not happy that a personal letter had not been sent directly to the other parent. They opened an independent police case relating to the threats.

What lessons were learnt?

I don’t know what was discussed between the Headteacher and Chair of governors. But I do know that being on the receiving end of threats is not something that should be dismissed lightly.

Reflections…

Has your school had to deal with tensions between parents?

What policy does your school have for addressing potentially criminal behaviour carried out by parents on school premises?

Have your say…

Have you had experiences similar to these? What do you think about the situation described?