son's hat confiscated by teacher then lost !

[Mattk]

my son had his beanie taken from him at school by a teacher.when he went to collect it at the end of school,the teacher said he had lost it.now i understand my son is responsible for his property during school hours but surely trhe second the hat was confiscated by the teacher he then became liable for its safekeeping ? can anyone advise here as i think the said teacher now owes me for the hat that he 'lost'

[molly]

I think you probably have a good case. I should first approach the teacher in question and voice your concerns. If you talk to him/her sensibly without loosing your temper he may reimburse you. If that fails then you could speak to the head teacher. So long as you put your case in a clear and sensible way, without heated tempers you might be lucky.

[BenDToy]

That said, if the type of hat was specifically not allowed to be worn at school, and that was the reason for its confiscation, then you may find it more difficult. But you should approach the teacher in the first instance. I hardly think you can treat him as personally responsible, and your claim would be against his employer ie the school.

[bernardo]

Definitely yes - threaten to sue him for every penny he owns, and if he doesn't pay up then go and burn his house down. Or perhaps you could politely remind him of the law of theft.

[Headtime]

I would advise caution. It's just a hat at the end of the day. It was probably, against school rules. If you feel that strongly, express your disappointmet to the teacher. But hey!, the teacher probably confiscated it for a reason. Maybe your son was out of order and openly flouting school rules.

[saffstar]

All the same, even if wearing the hat was against school rules, it still doesn't mean it was ok for the teacher to lose it, surely? Just because someone breaks a rule (intentionally or otherwise) it shouldn't mean that they don't have a right to get their property back

[bazwillrun]

If it was against school rules to take money in, what would happen if the teacher "took" it and then "lost" it. Hat, money, whats the difference ? In theory a teacher is supposed to be a responsible person, this one cant even look after a hat for a few hourds without losing it!!!

[warmdust]

what was he doing going to school in a beanie hat

[Maude]

Whilst you have a claim against the teacher for the cost of the beanie lost in his storage, he has a counter claim against you for the cost of storage, which, if it was me, would be a great deal more than your claim.

[JiZzHardy]

All this over a beanie hat? wow i'd give you the money to settle the whole thing... j/k yea i know, it's the princible of the thing.. i just think it's funny. just my two cents. JiZz

[BenDToy]

Whatever you all say, the teacher is NOT personally liable for the hat. I can only assume he confiscated it in line with some sort of school policy, and he is not responsible for its safe keeping. How many of you are responsible for goods in your possession as part of your job and how ould you like it if you had to personally pay for any loss or damage? If I was then I could end up with a very large bill one day! Anyway what the **** is a beanie? (sorry but I'm not a teenager or parent). Whatever it is I'll bet it isn't acceptable schoolwear!!

[GuavaJellie]

The possibility that the beanie has in fact been stolen by the teacher must not in the least bit be overlooked. A full report should be made to the police absolutely as soon as possible.

[Mattk]

jizz - yes it is the principle. and what do you mean 'all this' over a beanie ? i posted 1 question and loads of people have offered advice - is that ok with you ? next time you post wanting help im sure youre opinion will change somewhat

[Maude]

Well, if it's the principle which is bothering you this can be expressed as that it is your duty, and yours alone, to see that your child is properly dressed when setting off for school. This does not include looking like a foolish clown with a beanie, and if the teacher removed the wretched thing and put it in a dustbin to teach you a long overdue lesson in good manners then good luck to him. And if you go to the school making a foolish and silly fuss about it, then good luck to the teacher also if he sits you in the dustbin along with the beanie.

[karend]

Surely you should be supposrting the school, and making sure that your son adhered to the uniform requirements anyway? wouldn't it be better to say tough! you shouldn't have been wearing it anyway and if you want another one pay for it out of your pocket money? teachers should take care of stuff but surely looking after a class of 30 odd kids should be their priority rather than where they put the beanie!

[secretspirit]

That's a bit harsh, I don't think teachers should be allowed to continue on their usual "I am God" path. Kids should be treated like their property deserves respect as much as anybody else's and should not just have their things randomly 'lost'. If I was Mattk I'd have it out with the headteacher and get some money back for it. At least the teacher might think twice about doing it next time.