Hello Everyone

I am a single mother who is fighting for justice for her little girl. My daughter was undressed by the Headteacher without my consent, this left her traumatised and resenting school. I had to request a mid-term transfer as each morning my daughter pleaded with me at the school gates not to go in. I had inconsolable pain watching her being held by two teachers to go through the school gates.

I have written to Ofsted who referred me back to the school and highlighted they have limited legal powers to consider complaints about schools. I have written to the Local Authority Designated Officer for Leicestershire and Rutland Safeguarding Children and Partnership who has not responded till to date. I have spoken to the Social Services who highlighted a safeguarding breach, but I was never informed of the course of action to be taken.

No child deserves such trauma nor exposure to such a stressful ordeal. I kindly ask you to help me put an end to unfair treatment in schools so no child may face this emotional torture. I am deeply saddened by this injustice towards a little girl.

My story

In November 2020, I picked up my daughter from school. I noticed she seemed withdrawn but I had no understanding of what had occurred. When we got home as I assisted her undress her uniform, she revealed the headteacher and a colleague had taken her into the office and undressed her bare to her torso. They touched her body and told her she had a chicken pox and it made her “upset” and “sad”. 

This shook me, I was utterly disturbed. I rang the headteacher, who acknowledged she had undressed. The Head teacher declined to disclose information as to why this occurred. After 24hrs of withholding information she tried to justify her actions on stripping my daughter by saying, she had alleged that I had been beating her and her sister. This made no sense as my daughter is an only child. As a parent I feel the Head teacher should have discussed any concerns with me before taking further action. For 24hrs I was kept in the dark worried and stressed what had happened to my daughter. 

In an earlier conversation with the Head teacher regarding my daughter she racially discriminated me as a black mother, she stated that “it was common for black families to discipline their children by beating them”. This statement was disturbing and distressful to me.

After numerous emails to the school, the next day the Head teacher told me I was the accused therefore, information was deliberately withheld from me. I was given a number to contact the Social Services case worker. Despite the Head teacher having referred the matter, Social Services confirmed there was no concern and no matter to investigate.

My daughter became afraid to go to school. Each morning she was the last one to go through the gates held by teachers, she would throw herself on the ground in protest not to go to school and cling to me for dear life. I would leave her behind with tears in my eyes, worried if she would be alright.

The legal case

I made a formal complaint to the school on the following points –

1.  It was wrong of the Head teacher to strip my daughter to her torso without my consent or informing me.

2.  It was wrong for the school to keep me in the dark for 24 hours and as a mother to a daughter, I was petrified for her safety and well-being.

3. It was wrong for the Head Teacher to have racially discriminated against me or have the unconscious bias to say that culturally black families are known to discipline their children by beating them.

4. It was wrong to make false allegations such that I had beaten my daughter and her sister, which did not exist.

It was shocking given that the school accepted and upheld the complaint that the Head teacher should not have stripped my daughter without my consent or knowledge and that I should not have been kept in the dark for 24 hours, that no reprimanding action was taken against the teacher. It is shocking the school accepted there may have been some reference to culture but does not accept it was discriminatory. I find it unacceptable that neither the Head teacher nor the school have accepted or appropriately engaged with the racial discrimination that has occurred.

The school acknowledged there was poor knowledge of safeguarding at the school, this leaves hundreds of children vulnerable to abuse. Whilst I have removed my daughter from the school, it does not resolve the problem. As parents sending our children to school, we should be able to live in the belief that the Institute of school and its staff are a safe environment for our children. Despite these allegations being unfounded and the school upholding my complaint. 

The letter from the Head teacher felt far from an apology and I do not believe any lessons were learnt, nor any measures put in place to ensure such incidents do not happen again. Help me prevent this from happening to another child.

I have the expertise of the brilliant Public Law Solicitors of Bushra Ali Solicitors who are confident and prepared to fight for justice to protect the most vulnerable in society. I am unable to solely fund my case and require assistance with legal costs.

I kindly appeal to everyone to assist me raise £3 000 for the initial stages to help me with the legal costs to seek justice for my daughter. I want to make representations to Ofsted whom I believe should have taken action against the school. I want the school to implement systems and training to ensure this does not happen to another child.