Looking for hive mind, crowd-sourcing insight. I need an outside of the education system perspective.
I'm going to give a hypothetical situation, but all of the elements have happened this school year. I'd love to have some feedback from parents, teachers, and students. Please reblog for more diverse feedback, if you choose. Thanks!
There are 3 students- John Doe, Joe Public, and Susie Queue. They are 4th graders (~9-years-old). Susie Queue informs her teacher that on the playground, John and Joe have been cursing (swearing), talking about 'inappropriate body parts' and talking about sex.
Upon further investigation, nothing has been turned up that suggests that abuse is happening or that the boys have been exposed to anything more extreme than rated R movies and TV-MA shows (think Game of Thrones).
When the school administration calls home, John Doe's parents don't see any problem with what their child has said. They inform school admin that they allow their children to cuss, watch rated-R movies and watch TV-MA shows, and they talk and joke about sex and body parts all of the time.
Joe's parents inform the school that, while they don't watch those movies/shows in their house, Joe has seen them at friends' houses. They don't really see a problem, but do acknowledge that they need to have a conversation with Joe about appropriate times and places for such language and talk.
Susie's mother is on the warpath. She is furious that her child has heard these words and ideas. She wants the students responsible punished. She is demanding to know what will happen to the students, and is irate when informed that sharing that information would be a violation of John's and Joe's privacy rights. Mrs. Queue is threatening to go to the School Board and also the local press.
What would you do? What do you think the school should do? How do school respect the home cultures of all of these students? Should there be consequences for the boys?