Livid with a teacher! Update livid with myself!

[java]

My 12 year daughter comes home today saying "Mrs. S got an email from someone saying they were my uncle and they were in the book industry. They were trying to find out if I attended X school as they know I went to y for elementary."
She EMAILED HIM BACK! saying yes I know A and she goes to school here.

Now we don't have an uncle in the book industry. It infuriates me that this teacher didn't see red flags with someone contacting a gym teacher about this? I am so angry at the stupidity.

I have tried to contact her -- she's not around. And I left a message for the Principal as I feel this is now a safety concern.

Oh calm me down I am so very very angry.

UPDATE***
Turns out it was my SIL. The teacher had contacted a wellness company. My SIL does some computer work for them - NOT A BOOK COMPANY- But she was the one that contacted the teacher after the teacher contacted her company. She said that's not what she told my daughter. She said she asked her if she had an Uncle in the book business because my SIL has one of those man/woman names. She assumed man.

So after talking with the teacher I feel so much better and no need for concern and I am sure glad I didn't head over to the police station!
So thankfully a communication error vs. a child predator. Her boss read her the riot act though saying even if it is a relative you are to give NO INFORMATION about a student.
Thank you all for being there for me yesterday and now I feel like an ***.

 

[MushyMushy]

First of all I wouldn't jump to conclusions until you find out the whole story.

Second of all, just because someone has a degree in teaching, doesn't mean they have common sense. I certainly hope her teacher didn't do this. I'd be livid too!

 

[krcit]

Wow. Ver curious to hear the whole story once you talk to the teacher. That is crazy and I would be beyond livid also.

 

[horseshowmom]

I think you have every reason to be very concerned. If the facts are as your daughter told you, there is a problem.

Did your daughter tell the teacher that she didn't have an "uncle in the book industry"? If so, the teacher should have immediately followed up on the situation. It was incredibly stupid (and naive) of her to have responded to that email (why wouldn't an uncle have just asked the family? ).

By all means, contact someone as soon as possible. The teacher doesn't need to delete the email, and law enforcement will need to be brought in if everything was as stated.

ETA: I'm not trying to be melodramatic, but this has the sound of something that could be serious (again, if the facts turn out to be as presented). I would sit down with your daughter and discuss any online communications she has had to find out where this might be coming from.

 

[DisneyMomx7]

OMG I would be nuts! I can't calm you down because I think you're right to be livid. Under NO circumstances should a teacher contact anyone about your child except for the parents (or guardians)!

I would definitely be talking to the teacher and principal and also getting the email address of whoever was trying to find out about your dd. Then I would be contacting the police and handing over the emails!

I have a 12 year old dd too and this is too scary.

Let us know what happens.

 

[4nana]

OMG, how scary , I would indeed be very upset too ! If your DD has the facts straight, I can't imagine any teacher doing such an irresponsible act and breach of your DD's safety . Hope you get to meet with teacher and principal asap to get details and answers where to go from here.

 

[lillygator]

I would be concerned as well....keep us posted once you speak with the teacher.

 

[luvmy3]

I would be raising h e double hockey sticks at that school first thing tomorrow morning. I can't believe a teacher would do such an irresponsible thing :mad
I would also be driving my dd to and from school and not letting her out of my sight when she wasn't in school until I got it all straightened out and I found out just who this uncle was, even if it meant contacting the police.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My 12 year daughter comes home today saying "Mrs. S got an email from someone saying they were my uncle and they were in the book industry. They were trying to find out if I attended X school as they know I went to y for elementary."
She EMAILED HIM BACK! saying yes I know A and she goes to school here.

Now we don't have an uncle in the book industry. It infuriates me that this teacher didn't see red flags with someone contacting a gym teacher about this? I am so angry at the stupidity.

I have tried to contact her -- she's not around. And I left a message for the Principal as I feel this is now a safety concern.

Oh calm me down I am so very very angry.

I cannot believe it. Maybe your dd has the story wrong or something.

If it is true, I am sure she broke some laws.

 

[KandD]

The story of the supposed uncle doesn't even make sense! If he wanted to know where she goes to school why wouldn't he just ask his so called niece?

I don't blame you for being upset as this sounds very fishy. Please update us as soon as you hear from the teacher or principal.

 

[SwedishMeatball]

If true, she'll be in hot water over privacy issues.

 

[Scurvy]

I'd be upset, too. As KandD pointed out, it doesn't even make sense - if he was really her uncle and was supposed to know anything about her, he could find out from her family where she was going to school. If he had to ask a teacher, there's probably a good reason why he doesn't already know the information. The teacher should never have shared information about a student like that! I hope that somehow your child just misunderstood what was actually said, but if your child is right you definitely have a right to be angry. You do need to speak to the teacher and the principal as soon as possible.

 

[smschex]

Wow. Surely your daughter misunderstood exactly what happened. No adult with any degree of common sense would respond to such an inquiry.

I agree with the PP that said she would be at school bright and early in the morning to get the details---if I couldn't reach the principal tonight.

Good luck.

 

[DizBelle]

Perhaps there is another girl in the school with the same name and it was HER uncle?

 

[FireDancer]

There are people who just don't belong on the Internet. If you reply to Spam, enter information into a phishing site, think Bill Gates is going to send you money for forwarding emails, check you mailbox daily for money from Nigeria, or believe someone in the book publishing business would contact a gym teacher to verify school enrollment via email you are one of them.

 

[Orange County Girl]

I would ask the principal to find out if any other teachers received the same email.

 

[AlleyKat]

My 12 year daughter comes home today saying "Mrs. S got an email from someone saying they were my uncle and they were in the book industry. They were trying to find out if I attended X school as they know I went to y for elementary."
She EMAILED HIM BACK! saying yes I know A and she goes to school here.

Now we don't have an uncle in the book industry. It infuriates me that this teacher didn't see red flags with someone contacting a gym teacher about this? I am so angry at the stupidity.

It apparently didn't seem odd to Mrs. S that a pupil's uncle asked her a question that would most likely have been answered by someone within the family circle.

I wonder how said "uncle" knew who your daughter's teacher is and how the heck he got her email.

 

[okeydokey]

I think you are right to be concerned. Why would an uncle need to contact a teacher to verify a niece's info?

 

[agnes!]

OP -

*IF*...
the facts are as you understand them and as your DD related them to you, I think the police should be called.

Yes, I *DO*...not to necessarily get the teacher in trouble but to investigate this creepy person who seems to be trolling for information about your DD.

If your DD has any e-mail/Facebook/MySpace accounts,
if she has a cell-phone, she should not be doing any communicating(no texts/phone calls/IMs) through any of them until you find out what's going on. If anyone needs to contact her for school they can phone you or use your family e-mail account.

I would not de-activate any accounts or delete any pictures published (Is your DD on a school team, has she won any recent awards, has she been in the news) on the Internet *yet*- the police might need to try to contact this...ummmm..."uncle"?

agnes!

 

[clovergirl5]

It apparently didn't seem odd to Mrs. S that a pupil's uncle asked her a question that would most likely have been answered by someone within the family circle.

I wonder how said "uncle" knew who your daughter's teacher is and how the heck he got her email.

Good point! op, Im with everyone here. That is shocking if it happened the way your dd told you. I hope its a big misunderstanding of some sort so it doesn't affect your dd's safety at school. Keep us posted.