Pulling Rank

Pearls and Dreams When we got to the meeting, they immediatly started to blame Benjamin. I was floored. Evidently, the basis of the problem was that some kids, we don't yet know who, had told the kids who jumped Benjamin, that Benjamin had called them (the kids who jumped him) the "N" word. The principal, was assuming that the rumor didn't start from thin air, and that some how, some time, they had to have gotten the idea from somewhere. How and why are they picking on Bj? He kept insisting that Benjamin MUST be doing something to bring this on. I was insisting that A) this was NOT in his character and B) kids DO make things up out of thin air and get other kids in trouble all the time ... ESPECIALLY weaker kids in special ed classes! He was continuing to insist that Benjamin had to have some knowlege of who and why they would think he might have said this. Benjamin was stunned and clueless ... of coarse because, he wouldn't have said it. I told them that there was no way ... his youth pastor is mixed race, some of his best friends are of hispanic race (I named them, they are kids in the district, and they knew who the kids were) I then added that I also had a couple of Aunts and Uncle's that were of African American decent (I left off that they were step relatives now divorced from the family, but that's none of their business and beside the point). Those comments gave a little credibility, but still didn't get Benjamin off the hook. I was so upset, and I didn't know how to convince them that they were blaming the victim. They kept saying they weren't, but they needed to understand why the rumors were taking place ... and Benjamin had to have done something at some time for these kids to have said that (hello?). Finally, I was very frustrated and said why don't you get T.N. in here. T.N is an administrator in the school district. He has offices in the school building where my son goes to school. T.N. is one of our families best friends, the father of Benjamin's best friend, and the husband of one of my prayer partners. He is also the adult accountability partner to my son as a student leadership team member. He's the pastor of a new church plant that our church has planted, so we don't see him as often. Our families have been friends since our boys have been in kindergarten. When I said T.N's name, the first reaction was one of "yea right, like you even know him" and the principal asked me how we know him ... and I began to explain the above ... as I got a couple of sentences into it, I decided rather than fully explain, I could REALLY show the intimacy of the friendship with the N family by saying "and I know that you and T.N are prayer partners." Now, obviously, not just anyone would have access to that information and he knows the N family well enough to know that they don't advertise that. So, anyone who would know that, KNOWS T.N. Suddenly ... Benjamin was an innocent victim. It was obvious, if we were willing to get T.N. in there to vouch for his reputation, to talk about who Bj was, then there must be truth to what I was saying. I had pulled rank. These rumors were baseless and now the goal was to find out WHO was spreading them. Frustrated Relief! We don't know who or why, the rumors were started, and we were asked to keep him out for a couple of days while they try to get to the bottom of it, for his own protection. We talked some about Joey, the boy who beat up Benjamin. The fact that he'd never caused ANY trouble before, and how much like Benjamin he is in character and mannerisms ... he'd been lied to by someone and he fully believed that Bj had called him something ... and in his young, junior high age ... he fell to peer pressure and went after him. I am ever so glad we didn't charge him with assault and battery!!! I do hope they find out who lied to him!!! I hope that this young man is shown that he can't listen to everything everyone tells him, and to find out the facts before acting because someone innocent may get hurt ..which will hurt him in the process. My heart aches for both Benjamin and Joey. Innocent pawns in some child's game ...some kid is sitting back and watching fireworks explode at their expense ... and both of them are paying a heavy price for it! I am proud of my son and the way he handled himself. I respected Joey's mom and the way she handled him the day it happened ... I have no doubt that he's going to be taught the lesson here ... I hope he learns the mercy lesson too, though. T.N.s wife, when I called her to tell her about the situation, to tell her that I'd invoked her husband's name and it saved my son's reputation ... she said isn't that interesting? Isn't that just like us and the devil? He accuses us ...and we defend ourselves ...and we present logical, true arguements ...and he keeps pounding us, and we come back ...and he keeps at us, accusing us, and we stand and we stand against him until we can't take it any longer ...and we pull rank ..and say NO MORE .. in the NAME OF JESUS ... I have PROOF my reputation is clean!I've pulled rank! and he has to back off! What a great picture! I was able to talk to Benjamin and Samuel about it and Benjamin was able to see the connection from what happened to the spiritual realm. So neat! So, that is how the meeting went ... tonight ..the boys are at the N's house spending the night. Don and I went to dinner and to see the Pink Panther ... I'm going to be at the church in less than 7 hours to practice musical stuff ... helping the pastor's daughter learn a song in sign language ... so I guess I should get myself to bed.