Anonymous asked this question on 3/31/2000:

A student in my child's class has threatened to kill another student and blow up the school. The school knows about it and says they are handling the situation.The student had been suspended but has returned to class.All the kids are afraid of the girl. My daughter comes home everyday crying and telling me she is afraid.How do we handle this?Should we pull her out of school?This student has picked on my daughter as well as others on a weekly basis.We appreciate any advice,thank you., A student in my child's class has threatened to kill another student and blow up the school. The school knows about it and says they are handling the situation.The student had been suspended but has returned to class.All the kids are afraid of the girl. My daughter comes home everyday crying and telling me she is afraid.How do we handle this?Should we pull her out of school?This student has picked on my daughter as well as others on a weekly basis.We appreciate any advice,thank you.

drpiano gave this response on 4/4/2000:

One of the most critical factors facing schools today is the ADA (Average Daily Attendance). It is so critical, that school boards meet all over the country to try and combat this problem when enrollment takes a nosedive. Especially in small schools. One wonders if your school is small, and the school board is hoping to diffuse this situation and keep the ADA. Here is what I would do: I would make an alliance with as many of the other student's parents who have suffered abuse at the hands of this girl as I could. Then, withdraw your students en masse. Carpool if you have to. This will get the attention of the school board rather quickly. The message you should give to the school administration at the time you withdraw your students is; you will return just as soon as this child is no longer a student at this school. You know...this would have been really lousy advice five or ten years ago. Since then...Jonesboro, Springfield, Columbine. If my child were in your school (today was Monday, April 3, 2000) she would attend another school on Tuesday, April 4, 2000.

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