The Truth Will Out - Eventually

“A false friend and a shadow attend only while the sun shines.” Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) “Falsehood flies, and truth comes limping after it, so that when men come to be undeceived, it is too late” Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)

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Jane had set up a ‘False Allegation’ Facebook account along with this blog. It was never used but one night in late 2009, Jane accidentally sent a ‘friend request’ – I think that we can all relate to that situation. It provoked an odd reaction from Anne Callander to which Jane then responded. I intervened and asked Anne to discontinue and to leave Jane alone which then provoked this surprising response :

----- Original Message ----- From: Anne Callander To: False Allegation Sent: 05 January 2010 15:49 Subject: Anne Callander sent you a message on Facebook... Look through my “intrusion” so far and compare it to what you have written. It is you who started the intrusion by continually looking at my private profile and your false name coming up as a friend suggestion. You have forced me into what follows : As a Headteacher myself I know that the safeguarding and protection of a child is paramount, above all other concerns, and there are procedures that simply have to be followed. The outcome would have been so different and Jane would still be teaching today if she had accepted that she needed support during the difficult time she was having. Instead she chose a different route. The Jane I once knew would have taken the correct advice and accept the support offered from the start. She would NOT have ignored the advice from her union, her friends and the supportive network at county. She would NOT have followed the corrosive and destructive path that was advised by her partner whose first contact with her after the suspension was to tell her to “Shut up and don’t say any more“. None of this was reported at the hearing. I could have done had I chosen to, but I wanted to say as little as possible whilst still telling the TRUTH. This was the stance I had taken all along which I now know was “sitting on the fence”. I also took this attitude during the phonecalls that I received from Jane possibly giving the impression that I was agreeing with her by responding with “mmmm” and expressive “oh nos” and the like. I should have been more brave and admitted that I did have grave concerns about her behaviour over the years, and that I was now concerned that she was changing her story. She had already relayed the whole story to me on the car park was now telling me that she had “no idea what I’m being accused of”. If I am guilty of anything it is the dreadful weakness of being unable to confront her. I am guilty of not reinforcing my initial advice to listen to what her union advises and to take all the professional support she can. No doubt this is what led to Jane expecting me to lie for her at the hearing. However, there I had to draw the line. Jane DID admit to me that she had smacked the child. I could not lie about this. Friendship or no friendship I could not stick up for her and call the child a liar. And as a friend she should not have expected me to do so. I repeat. This did not need to happen. The outcome would have been very different if the correct advice was taken. Support could have been given officially and she would have been supported by her colleagues too if she could have admitted that her actions were due to the enormous pressure she was under. Jane chose this path herself. It is her OWN ACTIONS (on the ill advice from her partner) that have led to her “life of hell”, not my actions. I hope Jane gets to read this and it is not kept from her by her partner who will know that all I am writing is the truth. I pity her and what has happened and I am very sad that she is not happy. But it wasn’t down to anything that I did.

“But it wasn’t down to anything that I did.” In point of fact, Jane’s fate had been entirely her fault !