Zero Tolerance

Jay was none too happy on the first day of high school when Robbie brought home the pamphlet about the school’s zero-tolerance policy. “Weren’t any of these teachers ever kids themselves?” he said as he read of the draconian punishments for any violence whatsoever. “I don’t see an exemption for self-defense. Surely they told you that was okay?”

Robbie shook his head. “Mrs. Provencher, that’s my English teacher by the way, she said if you get attacked, just let someone tell a teacher. You won’t get in any trouble, and the attacker will get five days.”

“Five days’ suspension?”

“Right.” Robbie had his head buried in the fridge by then, getting his after-school snack together, and Jay took some comfort in the fact that he didn’t seem to care at least.

But Jay did care. “That’s ridiculous. If you get attacked, you’ve got a right to hit back.”

“I guess.” Robbie plopped down across from him and unwrapped the salami for his sandwich. “But it’s not like I plan to get in any fights, Dad. That’s why I moved in with you, you know.”

“Right, I know.” Jay’s ex-wife and her husband lived in a swanky, trendy neighborhood in the city, but the public schools there were war zones. Even Barbara herself had confessed, “He’ll be better off going to high school there, Jay. And I have to admit he needs his father.”

Jay hadn’t argued the point. Losing custody five years ago had broken his heart, but he’d gotten his life back together out in the suburbs, and had even fallen in love again. Best of all, Robbie got along well with Laura and treated her with a lot more respect than Jay himself remembered having for women at his age. For all the havoc Barbara had wreaked on him during their marriage, she had sure done something right.

But Jay couldn’t help but be concerned about his son’s sense of calm about it all. “I know you’re not that type, Robbie, but I feel I should remind you, this isn’t the Garden of Eden. High school has bullies everywhere, even in the leafy-green suburbs, all right?”

“But I’m a lot better at avoiding them thanks to that hellhole Mom called a middle school.”

“Watch your language. But yes, son, I’m sure you are. Just…”

“Yeah, Dad?”

“Just don’t be too trusting about teachers getting you out of trouble if you do get attacked, all right?”

“Course not.” Robbie ate his sandwich in silence, and then deposited the plate and his milk glass in the sink. “Okay if I just leave these to wash after dinner?” he asked. “I don’t want to slack off on the first day, you know?”

“You’ve got homework already? Yeah, sure, go.”

Jay was still sitting at the table, perusing the information Robbie had brought home, when Laura arrived home from work. “How’s the big man’s first day of school?” she asked.

“A lot better than my first day of high school, that’s for sure,” Jay said, standing up to kiss her. Still feeling wound up on his son’s behalf even if Robbie didn’t care, Jay handed Laura the zero-tolerance pamphlet. “Can you believe this, though?”

“About time,” Laura said.

“You support this?”

“You were never a girl in a school full of horny boys,” Laura reminded him. “Trust me, this is a godsend.”

“It is if the victims don’t hit back,” Jay said.

“Teachers aren’t stupid, Jay, they’ll know who the real troublemaker is.”

Jay scoffed at her. “You were never a boy in a school full of bullies.”

“The teachers know who the good boys are, Jay!”

“Don’t be so sure.” Jay's own adolescence had left scars unhealed.

But Robbie wasn’t a troublemaker, they both knew that, and within a few days Jay’s outrage was forgotten. For the next few weeks, they helped him with his homework, welcomed the news that he’d volunteered for the school newspaper and several other extracurriculars – “He won’t be a nobody like I was!” Jay mused out loud one night while he and Laura were getting ready for bed – and even managed not to tease him the first time a girl called on the phone asking for Robbie. When he brought home all A’s and B’s on the midterm progress reports, Jay was pleased but not surprised.

Which was why he felt no concerns at all that day in late October when his receptionist alerted him to a phone call from the high school. “Put them on, that’s fine, he said. After the awaited click, he said, “Hello?”

“Yes, is this Robbie Stupak’s guardian?”

“I’m his father, yeah. Let me guess, he forgot to bring in some permission slip, did he? Email it to me and I’ll sign it.” Jay let out a light laugh - his son did have his irresponsible days.

“This is Vice Principal Lockard, Mr. Stupak, and afraid it’s more serious than that.”

“Oh?” Jay’s sense of bemusement vanished – was Robbie injured?

“Mr. Stupak, your son has been suspended.”

“Suspended!” Somewhere deep down, he felt a touch of relief that his son wasn’t hurt…but just what had happened? Then he remembered that pamphlet. “Don’t tell me he got attacked and you’re suspending him for hitting back!”

“No sir, we are not, although the other boy will also be suspended for hitting back. That’s school policy. But I’m afraid Robbie threw the first punch.”

“He what?!”

My son, the bully! Jay’s memory catapulted back to his own childhood, where he’d been a favorite target of the bullies back in his rough-and-tumble hometown. As late as college, he’d had flashbacks to that feeling of utter helplessness, the humiliation, the rage that followed…had he taught his son nothing at all?

Jay had a meeting he couldn’t miss that afternoon. Fortunately, Laura was on a work-from-home day and was there to let Robbie in when he got home from school early. By the time Jay made it home, he was irate. “Did he have anything to say for himself,” he said as he burst in the kitchen door without even a hello for Laura.

“Fine thanks, and how was your day?” Laura said with a stern look.

“Come on, you can’t expect me to be happy right now!”

“Fine, fine,” Laura said. “No, he didn’t say anything. He just went to his room and slammed the door. I went by a little later and knocked and asked if he wanted to talk, but he said no.”

“Thanks for trying.” Jay took his coat off and loosened his tie, and was off down the hall. He opened Robbie’s door without knocking, drawing a howl of outrage from his son, who was curled up on his bed with a novel from English class. “Ever hear of knocking, Dad?” he demanded.

Jay glared at him. “Haven’t I talked to you about bullying? Told you the damage it can do?”

“Of course you have. That’s why –”

“Quiet, you!” Jay snapped. He was vaguely aware of the doorbell ringing – just what he needed right now! – but he ignored that. “And I understand your victim got suspended too because of that stupid zero tolerance policy!”

“I sure hope he did!” Robbie’s eyes were wet with tears of rage.

“You hope he…” Jay was so angry he felt like punching the wall. “How the hell could you do that? Was he smaller? I don’t suppose you even picked on someone your own size!”

“He’s a little smaller, but –”

“Enough!” Jay roared. “I have never been this mad at you! If you knew one damn thing about what I had to grow up with, or what you probably put that other kid through, you…I can’t tell you how disappointed I am in you, son. Does that make you happy?”

“No!”

“Then you at least understand what you did was wrong, don’t you?”

“Was not! Look, Dad –”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” Jay roared. “I’ve been listening to them for fourteen years!”

There came a firm knock on the bedroom door. “Jay, you do want to listen to this one,” Laura said.

“Oh, hell, Laura, why?”

“We have a guest who’ll explain everything,” she said. “Robbie, you might want to join us too.”

“But then it’s straight back here afterward,” Jay warned. “No TV, no Internet, no…”

“Jay, please.” Laura said. “Just come listen.”

Their guests were a middle-aged man and his teenage daughter, neither of whom Jay recognized. Robbie did recognize the girl. “Stacey!” he exclaimed, desperately wiping at his eyes as if to hide that he’d been crying. “Look, you don’t owe them an explanation, all right?”

“Robbie, I just wanted to say thank you!” the girl said.

“You’re welcome.” Robbie turned back for his room, but Laura grabbed him by the arm and wouldn’t let him escape.

“Thank you for what, exactly?” Jay asked. Then he shook his head. “I’m sorry, where are my manners? Welcome. I’m Jay.”

“Evan,” said the man, shaking his hand. “And my daughter, Stacey. It sounds like Robbie hasn’t told you what happened today.”

“Not for lack of trying,” Robbie grumbled, glaring at his father.

“I know he’s been suspended for beating up on someone,” Jay said. “And look, I didn’t raise my boy to be a bully. I don’t know what got into him.”

“I do,” Stacey said. “Brad Krupman – that’s the boy he hit, Mr. Stupak – he got a question wrong in math today, and I got the right answer. So after class when Mrs. Russell had already left the room, he pushed me back in the corner and…” her voice broke and tears came to her eyes. “And he yanked my skirt up, in front of everyone.” She buried her face in both her hands and cried.

“Robbie was the only one who did anything about it,” her father went on. “He pulled the little shit away and pinned him against the wall so Stacey could get away.”

“And he tried to wriggle out and get another try at her,” Robbie said. “So yeah, Dad, I hit him. And Mrs. Russell came back in the room just in time to see it.”

“I tried to tell her what Brad did to me, Mr. Stupak,” Stacey added. “But she wouldn’t listen!”

“Zero tolerance, you know?” her father added.

“That stupid rule,” Jay said.

“Look, if it’ll help, I’m willing to talk to the principal,” Evan said. “And Stacey too.”

“I want to!” Stacey added. “But what I really want to do is…” She walked over to Robbie, who was still cowering behind Laura, and hugged him. “Robbie, thank you.”

“No problem,” Robbie said, and after a moment’s hesitation he returned her embrace.

“I’m always telling my daughter, not all boys are monsters,” Evan said, shaking Jay’s hand again. “You raised a good one, my friend.”

Better than I gave him credit for, Jay thought as he thanked Evan and Stacey and saw them out of the house.

Robbie was still rooted to his spot in the hallway when Jay shut the door behind them. “Son,” Jay said without looking at him. “I’m sorry.”

“Does that mean I’m not grounded?” Robbie asked.

Jay laughed. “Get your coats, both of you. Robbie, we’re taking you out to dinner.”