Sense and Sensitivity: Student Catches Teacher Buying Drugs

[cereta]

DEAR HARRIETTE: My history teacher has been doing drugs outside his working hours. I know this because I saw him hanging out with drug dealers last week on the street, and I watched him exchange money for a bag of drugs. I like my teacher as he has taught me a lot about ways to improve my knowledge of history and how to be a hardworking student.

My teacher's drug habits do not affect his professionalism while he is teaching. That being said, it has become evident to me that I am taking advice and learning from someone who regularly engages in activities that I am prohibited from and that make me uncomfortable. He has also taught me never to tattle on people, especially those I respect. Still, I do not feel comfortable approaching him to tell him how I feel or trying to explain what is right in this situation. Do you think I should try talking to his superior, my parents or his colleagues, or do I do my best to forget about it? -- Concerned About Teacher, Akron, Ohio

DEAR CONCERNED ABOUT TEACHER: I do not recommend that you address this directly with your teacher. An active drug addict is likely to deny his behavior and possibly retaliate against you to protect himself. Start with your parents. Tell them what you saw and why you are concerned. Ask them to help you navigate this. While you may not want to endanger your teacher’s job, you need to understand that it is he who is jeopardizing his future by using drugs in the first place. It may be that the school will help him get help to quit using drugs. Get your parents to help you figure out next steps.

Comments

[cereta]

It will probably come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that both the column and the responses to it on uexpress made me want to punch someone. Seeing smoking pot equated to child molestation will do that.

To the LW: You don't know what those drugs are or why he is taking them. I have friends who have found tremendous relief for everything from migraines to anxiety with marijuana. Thankfully, it is now legal in my state, but before then, they were buying illegally. If I (a) actually got relief from my constant migraine from pot and (b) weren't married to an employee of the Department of Justice, you can bet your bippy I'd be using it, and to he11 with some moralistic notion that because I teach, I should "held to a higher standard." Given the messed-up attitudes in our culture towards pain and pain control, I bet there would be students in my classes who would be scandalized that I take (perfectly legal, prescribed) morphine daily for fibromyalgia pain, but I put my ability to function higher than their judgment.

[lilysea]

If your teacher is

a) a good teacher;

b) behaving professionally at school;

c) not impaired at school

it's none of your business!

For all you know, he's buying marijuana to help with his
- Multiple sclerosis
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Epilepsy
- Cancer...

[moem]

Depending on the student's age, the teacher (as well as any other adult in their circles) may be doing tons of other things that the student is prohibited from. I'm not sure how this one is specifially different and problematic.

Dear student, please do not get your teacher, who is apparently a good teacher, fired or worse for something that you never even noticed before. Whatever your teachers do outside of work hours, and doesn't harm you or others, is none of your business.

[mommy]

I am sure that LW knows many people who regularly engage in activities that LW is prohibited from. Would LW be so disturbed by a teacher buying an alcoholic beverage? Or driving a vehicle that requires a CDL license or specialty permit? Shockingly enough, someone engaging in restricted behaviors isn't necessarily a bad person who deserves to have their career destroyed.

[minoanmiss]

This fucking country. Okay, I shouldn't say that, I don't actually know this is from the US, but the "drugs are evil" and "teachers must be perfect and pure" attitudes in both letter and reply are definitely terrible aspects of US culture. Ugh.

[jadelennox]

yeah, this. It doesn't matter if he's doing it for a good reason or not, if it doesn't come into his interactions with students.

Like, maybe he's not buying pot to help with migraines, maybe he's buying coke to get high on weekends. Maybe he's buying meth or heroin, and somehow still manages to be a good teacher. So what? The advice for the student should be "watch yourself with the teacher, be wary of invitations to his house, and be sensible -- as with all adults you don't know well personally."

[rosefox]

He has also taught me never to tattle on people

I always side-eye this from adults to children, because it's so often used by abusers to control their victims.

That said, I am honestly skeptical of this letter because who in the history of the world has ever said "a bag of drugs"?