Can a principal threaten to call the police on a kid? Need advice

Hey, I’m wondering if it’s legal for a principal to threaten a kid with the police if they don’t speak up. My son got into a situation at school today. A boy was messing with his stuff and trying to steal some candy from his backpack. My son tried to stop him by punching him in the leg. The other kid then told the principal that my son tried to touch him inappropriately, which isn’t true. The principal told my son that he needed to ‘tell the truth’ or else he’d call the police on him. Is that even okay in Texas?

That sounds really intense! I don’t think a principal should be threatening kids like that, especially if they’re just trying to defend themselves. Have you thought about talking to the school board about this?

@Phoenix
Yeah, definitely talk to the school board. If your kid was scared and distressed, they need to know about it. Honestly, that principal should’ve handled it better.

@Phoenix
Exactly, it’s not just about what happened but how your son was treated after. Maybe even think about getting a lawyer involved for peace of mind.

Wow, that’s really messed up. I don’t think the principal should be bringing up police like that. I’ve heard of schools overstepping like this before. Could you file a formal complaint?

Zev said:
Wow, that’s really messed up. I don’t think the principal should be bringing up police like that. I’ve heard of schools overstepping like this before. Could you file a formal complaint?

Yeah, I was thinking of doing that. But not sure if it’ll change anything, you know? My kid is still freaked out about the whole thing.

Zev said:
Wow, that’s really messed up. I don’t think the principal should be bringing up police like that. I’ve heard of schools overstepping like this before. Could you file a formal complaint?

It might be a good start. At least they’d have to look into it. I’d also recommend keeping records of everything, in case you need them later.

IDK if this is normal, but that principal sounds way out of line. They shouldn’t be using threats like that, especially with kids that age.

Kim said:
IDK if this is normal, but that principal sounds way out of line. They shouldn’t be using threats like that, especially with kids that age.

Exactly, it’s like they’re making it worse by scaring the kid. There’s got to be a better way to handle things like this.

I agree, I don’t think the principal should be threatening with the police. You should definitely look into this further with a lawyer or the school district.

Cass said:
I agree, I don’t think the principal should be threatening with the police. You should definitely look into this further with a lawyer or the school district.

I’m planning to. I’m just not sure how to go about it. Do you think I should talk to the principal first?

Cass said:
I agree, I don’t think the principal should be threatening with the police. You should definitely look into this further with a lawyer or the school district.

Maybe not first. It could be better to go directly to the school board or even a lawyer. If the principal’s behavior was wrong, they might just try to cover it up.

That’s really concerning. If your son’s in shock, this might be a bigger deal than just a school issue. Talking to a lawyer sounds like a good next step.

Hart said:
That’s really concerning. If your son’s in shock, this might be a bigger deal than just a school issue. Talking to a lawyer sounds like a good next step.

Yeah, I think I need to figure out my next steps, especially if this is going to affect him more emotionally. Thanks for the advice!