A teacher has been deemed “inappropriate” for calling a 13-year-old girl “pretty”. The male professional has now been called out as people were left floored by his actions
A teacher has been called out by people who have deemed his actions inappropriate. The male teacher is alleged to have continuously called a teenage girl “pretty”, which left others feeling “uncomfortable”, even though the teacher is claimed to be “really good” at his job.
The story left many feeling unsettled as teachers are expected to remain professional, trustworthy and respectful when working in schools, but a former student claimed it left her really confused. Now she’s shared what happened in an honest post on Reddit, as she’s questioning whether the behaviour was acceptable, and if the matter should have been more formally addressed.
It’s not the only story of its kind to be exposed recently either. Just months ago, an assistant head was called out for messaging an ex-pupil in a baffling way.
The anonymous post read: “Is it inappropriate for a middle-aged male teacher to repeatedly make comments about a 13-year-old female student being pretty? I figured it’s the best place to ask since I’m not comfortable talking about it with people I know in real life.
“I’ve been looking back at some experiences with one of my teachers in middle school and trying to figure out if they were a cause for concern. This teacher was an overall very good teacher, and I never experienced any inappropriate touching or overtly sexual comments from him.
“Academically, he was the best teacher I’ve ever had, and he was very nice and supportive. He did have some problems with boundaries and discussed personal issues with students.
“I don’t know what he would’ve done if I spoke up. I was very shy at that age and had trouble asserting myself.
“I’ve tried to repress/justify these experiences until very recently. It makes me very uncomfortable looking back, but I’m worried it might just be me being overly sensitive.”
After the story was posted, dozens of people shared their thoughts on the matter. Some people admitted they thought it was questionable behaviour.
One said: “The best case is that he was a good guy who didn’t think it through. Perhaps he thought you needed a confidence boost, and didn’t understand humans.
“It’s generally a bad idea to comment on any aspect of a student’s appearance. At least that’s how I viewed it because I’m a middle aged male teacher who isn’t very sophisticated.”
Another wrote: “Yes. And like, even if it somehow wasn’t, if you were uncomfortable, your instincts are more important than what’s typically considered ‘appropriate’.”
A third replied: “I would never tell a student that she was pretty. I never share personal information or issues with students. He was inappropriate, yes.”
Meanwhile, a fourth also commented: “It is not appropriate for any teacher to be commenting like that. Even if it was totally innocent, it is better that someone at least be made aware of their behaviour so they can stop it.”
Most people seemed to think it was questionable behaviour, with one even deeming it “weird”. Another noted such remarks instantly put a teacher in the “danger zone”, so comments like this are best totally avoided.
If you ever deem the behaviour of a teacher to be questionable, you should always speak to the school.
