Certified Mail

Okay, so here is the word for word letter I got via certified mail last week from my former school:

"It has come to our attention that you have been involved in email communication with one of our sixth grade students. Your very casual and friendly communication could certainly be misconstrued as an attempt to contact and to later meet with a vulnerable young student. Therefore, we are informing you that you may at no time contact any New Visions student.

If you are unclear about the above request, please contact our school legal counsel...."

Um yeah. So...needless to say i am more than a little upset. Thinking about this letter and the whole situation literally has me shaking and feeling so sick. I emailed a student because she had sent me a card when I was out on "administrative leave." The card was in the boxes of my belongings that the school packed up and I picked up. In the card, the student said she missed me wanted me to come back blah blah blah and she included her email address. I sent her the following email:

Hello (student's name removed because its a good idea),

Thank you for your card and all of the encouraging notes you left me
throughout the year. I appreciate them a lot. I just got your most
recent card today when I got to the school to pick up my belongings.
I miss you and the entire class and am very sorry I can not be there
with you all to finish out the year. Unfortunately, circumstances
beyond my control have kept me from being there. I enjoyed being your
teacher and know you will continue to do well.

Do you know where you will be going to school next year yet?

Tell everyone I said hello and that I miss them. Also feel free to
give them my email address as well, I would love to hear from anyone!

Thanks again (students name removed again),

Ms. Wymore

The kicker is that a couple of days after I sent the email, I got an email from Human Resources at the school saying I was not allowed to contact any students or staff of the school. Which I didn't. Then I get this letter in the mail. Its become harassment in my opinion.

So yeah...I just don't know what to do. I am angry, frustrated, discouraged and just plan exhausted. I am planning on calling a lawyer because I can not stand this veiled accusation out there and it makes me wonder what they are saying about me. I feel like I have been blackballed in the education community and I don't even know why.

I have never been accused of doing anything even remotely inappropriate regarding a student and I am just.....I don't even have words to explain my feelings. ARGH. Any advice? Thoughts? I have been working with students all of my adult life and this situation is taking the wind out of me...I still haven't contacted a lawyer because I am intimidated and scared. I need to, everyone I talk to says I should at least have a conversation with a lawyer just to get some perspective if nothing else, but I am so not good at standing up for myself. Maybe this is my chance....