Our advocate is in court today ready and she's furious. A teenage client who's perpetrator was sent to an alternative school a few months ago acted out at school. To say she's been under a lot of stress is an understatement. Now, we get word that the school principal is going before the judge in an attempt to send her to an alternative school. This is the same school that the boy who raped her is now attending. The principal doesn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation.
Our client is terrified. Her mother is scared to death. This hits us hard. It's also personal. We feel like she's a member of the family.
For the past several months this client has been doing some volunteer work here. She's logged over 25 hours and would have many more if she would remember to write them in when she comes. The client has helped with our eBay store and has worked hard in our clothing closet. She goes to great pains to help people find clothes that they can use. She never complains and has always gone the extra mile. We've not only never had a problem with she's even supervised the work of other teens.
But here, she doesn't have to contend with people who don't understand. She doesn't have "friends" of the the guy who hurt her breathing down her neck and she doesn't have to contend with comments or rude suggestions from other teens in the high school.
Our advocate is ready to go to war to keep this client from having to go to school with this perpetrator. We all are.
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