“Yes.” Dr. Gardner hesitated, which was not a good sign. I racked my brain. I was a new teacher, but I’d tried to follow all the rules.
“Dr. Gardner?”
“My apologies. This is very hard. You have been accused of inappropriate conduct with your students,” she said, hurrying through the words as though that might somehow blunt the impact.
I froze, not sure I’d heard her correctly.
“Mr. Walker?”
“I’m sorry. Dr. Gardner, did you just say that I was accused of inappropriate conduct with the kids in my class?”
Ozzie’s eyes widened.
“That was the complaint, yes.”
“Dr. Gardner, you have to know that I… I don’t know where that’s coming from. I’ve completed all the classes about appropriate behavior with students, and I take what I learned very seriously. I did notice last year that a couple of the students had crushes on me, but I never encouraged that behavior, and I always directed them away from me. I…”
“Mr. Walker, stop. If you had legal representation, they would tell you to shut the hell up. So, respectfully,shut the hell up. You should also reach out to your union representative.”
My heart fell into my stomach. All these years of working while going to school… “Are there any specifics that you can share with me?”
Dr. Gardner kept speaking as though I hadn’t asked the question. “There will be an inquiry. Your students will be questioned, and you are being put on paid leave until this is resolved.”
I couldn’t process that this was happening. I was stunned. Speechless.
“Mr. Walker, as a mandatory reporter, I have to take this complaint seriously, and I have to follow every rule. This will not be pleasant for you, but I will do what I can to make sure it is handled expeditiously.”
“Thank you, Dr. Gardner,” I said automatically, even though the warmth and support I’d felt from her over these last few weeks was missing entirely. It was as if I were talking to a stranger.
There was something else missing, though. Details.
“Dr. Gardner, can I ask who made the complaint? Are there any details you can share?”
“The complaint was lodged anonymously,” she answered, sounding hesitant. “But the language was… coded. It specifically mentions grooming for homosexual acts.”
I cursed, tears springing to my eyes as I recognized the language, as well as its source. “I know what this is about.”
“Save it for your union rep, Mr. Walker.”
I knew she was trying to protect her career and mine, but…
“Dr. Gardner, I just came out to my mother this morning. Actually, she walked in on me and my boyfriend and got very upset. Said a lot of very hurtful things. Fired me from the tire shop.”
Dr. Gardner went quiet for a moment, then let out a breath. “That information won’t change anything as far as how this will be handled, but it does provide some context. As I said, get your union rep on the line.”
“I will, Dr. Gardner. Thank you for…” I didn’t know how to finish that sentence. “For your professionalism,” I finally said.
We each said a stiff goodbye and ended the call. Ozzie stood in front of me, his hands cradling my elbows, worry filling his deep brown eyes.
“My mother filed an anonymous report accusing me of inappropriate behavior with the students in my class, Oz. Because I’m gay or queer or whatever.”
“And you’re sure it’s your mom?”
“The report was anonymous, but it was filed this morning. And the accusation included the word grooming.”
“Fuck.Walker.”
He looked distraught, and I shook my head. “I can’t have you feeling bad about this, Oz. I—Dr. Gardner was so… cold. Not mean, just… professional. But the kind of professional that’s like armor. Impenetrable.”
