Disciplinary Action/Disciplinary Office/First Week/Charity
You get a page from your assistant over the intercom during one of the recess periods. It's Ms. Varano, telling you about another issue that has come up, and this one turns out to be quite the interesting issue.
"Mr. Gardner, I... we've got a case here. I think I'd better come in to tell you." There is a certain tone to her voice that bothers you a little.
"Umm... Ok, come on in." You tell her. After this, you hear Ms. Varano's muffled voice directing someone to come in with her. The door opens and you see Ms. Varano looking a little shaken and a very timid and guilty looking little girl who looks like she's somewhere around 10 years old.
"This is Charity Fine." She tells you. "The recess monitor just brought her in. She grabbed a boy's hand, and then she actually forced his hand down into her underwear. Actually into her underwear. She..." Ms. Varano stammered as she was trying to report this to you, and you could see her cheeks going a rather furious shade of red. "Well, suffice it to say, she was behaving like a complete harlot in the worst possible way. Who knows how far she would have gone if that boy hadn't been of such strong moral character and stopped her advances. The guidelines are quite clear about what should be done with such an offense."
After hearing about what happened, you are a little shocked yourself. It's pretty clear now why Ms. Varano seems so shaken. But then, you don't find yourself quite as shocked as someone who's spent all their lives in this town would. You know from your exposure to the outside world that sometimes kids might get a little sexually exploratory, and failing to teach a kid about proper sexual boundaries the right way is a good way to increase the chances of this happening.
"Ahh... yes. I can see why you are so shaken up if that's what she's done." You say. "What grade is she in, anyway? I don't suppose she's been through Ms. Carmichael's section on this sort of material?"
This observation makes Ms. Varano's body jolt like she's just been electrocuted, and then a thoughtful look comes over her eyes. "No, she is in the fourth grade, but since this is the beginning of the school year she would not have had any of those sections yet. I suppose in that case you should probably follow the information restrictions during the administration of your punishment and be sure not to say too much about the subject. Although, considering how far things will be going... I am not sure the guidelines account for such a situation. I suppose I should likely leave it to your judgement. If you don't tell her anything she shouldn't know, I suppose you will have to increase the severity of the punishment in order to compensate."
You actually manage to catch the ghost of a smirk on Ms. Varano's face. It looks and sounds like she actually WANTS you to go farther than the guidelines say you should.
"Well then, I will leave this to you Mr. Gardner." She said and then marched out of the room, leaving the little fourth grader behind as she closed the door and there was an audible click sound as the door locks engaged, trapping her in here with you until the locks were released. She had been staring at the floor the entire time Ms. Varano was talking with you, but you could see her gradually becoming more and more terrified as the two of you discussed her punishment. Now, she was visibly shaking and on the verge of tears.
Well then, how should you proceed from here?