I received the call during second period.
“Can you come down? We’ve got a student refusing to remove his cap.
Our school has a strict no-hats rule. It always has. But something in the teacher’s tone made me pause.
When I arrived at my office, there he was. Jaden. Eighth grader. Usually quiet, respectful. Today? Slouched deeply in the chair, arms crossed, cap pulled so low I could barely see his eyes.
I sat across from him and inquired, “What’s happening, man?”
No response.
I tried again. “You know the rule. Do you want to help me understand what’s going on?”
After a long pause, he muttered, “They laughed at me.”
I leaned in. “Who did?”
“Everyone. At lunch. They said I looked like someone took a lawnmower to my h…..
