Source
r/Teachers•
Christmas850

How would you handle this: Addressing a teacher about a... hygiene issue (?)

Teacher Support &/or Advice

One of our first year teachers brought this to the attention of our department today, and I'm at a loss.

Evidently a permanent sub with a nearby classroom has an unusual... habit. Numerous students have complained to First Year that Perma-Sub frequently adjusts/yanks his junk in class, and then smells his hand. First Year had no idea who to bring this to or how to address it. (Both teachers are males.)

I know men "adjust" themselves sometimes, but this seems like a lot, and possibly a medical/hygiene issue??

First Year mentioned this to a male admin with the hopes he'd address Perma-Sub about the behavior, but he suggested it would be more digestible coming from a peer. Like a friendly mention of, "Hey, I don't know if this is true, but students are saying that you frequently adjust yourself in class... and you should be aware."

How would you all handle it? I'm at a loss. 12+ years of teaching and I'm stunned.

Posted Nov 28, 2022, 11:37 PM UTC

1610
Wafflinson•

Admin is full of BS and is just passing the buck.

Absolutely SHOULD NOT come from a peer.

76
lnitiative•

Came here to say this. I would have refused.

3
MathMan1982•

The admin said this should come from a peer?? Some admin can't be leaders these days. I've seen this more than once with admin and it sounds like your admin should find another line of work, as they are lazy, or a coward. If they don't want to do it, they should get HR or a rep from the district to talk with the teacher.

18
TeachlikeaHawk•

Holy shit.

Tell your admin that it easier for him if it comes from a peer, because then he doesn't have to say it. Dealing with weird personnel issues is 100% the job of the administration.

Hell no. The way you can help handle this is to get back to that admin and make it clear that this is his exact job. If he's comfortable with a male teacher sniffing his junk (by proxy) then that's an issue that needs to be escalated to other admin or the district.

Honestly. You male admin needs to pull up his big boy pants and do his job.

16
molyrad•

We had a teacher with a hygiene issue (different issue but still a very personal matter) and it was handled by HR. Dealing with staff issues like this is their job! I would definitely tell a fellow teacher about small things like their fly was open or their shirt had slipped and was now revealing more than they'd want it to, but if it's a reoccurring problem or one that is more personal (like the one you describe) then it should definitely be handled by HR.

7
Glad_Break_618•

You could bring it up to HR.

6
TexasBluebonnet7•

If a school employee is in the habit of noticeably touching his privates in front of students, he shouldn't be working with students. Gross as it is, this is even more of an appropriateness issue than it is a hygiene issue. Go to HR if campus admin doesn't care.

5
Christmas850OP•

Agreed. The more I thought about it, I wouldn’t be comfortable around him at all if I noticed him doing that around me. And I certainly would’ve been uncomfortable as a young girl in his class. And I wouldn’t want to touch anything he handed me, be it a pencil or work sheet or whatever.

5
Allkindsofpages•

No fucking way. this is an admin issue period

3
FantasticTrouble5746•

I would just tell him .. “hey giggle gigle* word of the winds.. a little bird told me* or whatever the saying is .. giggle giggle* That you touch your junk in class then sniff your fingers•.. giggle giggle* interesting rumor. These dam kids are something else.” 😎

🤣🤣🤣 I’ll be the messenger. Imagine if a female teacher was doing this. Gross… I don’t get why men growing up aren’t taught these things. For little girls, that behavior is smacked out of from like the age of 4

0
Christmas850OP•

It’s lucky I’ve never seen him in the act because I’m the type that would immediately gag and call him Dirty Dick

1