“All I did was listen when Jayden came to me, I swear. I told him he should talk to his parents about what he was feeling. I didn’t manipulate him in any way.”
I hate how unsteady my voice sounds. The last thing I want to do is cry in front of these people, but I can’t stop my emotions from bubbling over the surface.
“Did you talk to Jayden?” I ask. “He’ll tell you the truth.”
“The school counselor spoke with her, yes—uh, him. Sorry.” Harrison pauses, and I hold my breath. “We think it’s best to place you on administrative leave while we investigate the situation.”
My heart sinks. My eyes widen and my mouth falls open. “What is there to investigate? The woman is unstable. She’s mad that Jayden cut his hair without her permission, and she needs someone to blame.”
“When a parent makes a formal complaint, this is what we have to do,” Pricilla says. “It’s protocol.”
I swallow as my head spins. “Could I lose my job over this?”
“Like I said, you have options.” Susan slides a packet of paper across the table. “Mrs. Morales wants you to step down as head coach, and she’s petitioning to have you terminated as a teacher from the school. While she does not have the authority to do that, you do have to be removed from school property while we navigate this.”
Tears burn behind my lids.Fuck. “I didn’t do anything wrong. She’s the one who should be ashamed of the way she’s treating her child.”
Harrison nudges a tissue box closer to me. “As educators, you know we are caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to problematic parents. We’re damned if we do, and we’re damned if we don’t. Mrs. Morales is the kind of parent who thinks she can flaunt her money around, and get what she wants.”
This woman is like a terrorist in Lululemon, running around making demands.
“So, how long do I have to take leave for?”
“Until we reach a resolution,” Pricilla says. “You will be paid, of course, but you cannot attend practices or games.”
I choke on my spit. “But my team needs me. We’re going into the playoffs.”
“Coach Fletcher will take over for the time being,” Danbury says, finally speaking up. “Your team will be in good hands.”
Anger spikes in my veins. “Did you speak to him about this?”
“Not yet.”
“He won’t go for it.” My eyes dart around the table. “He doesn’t want to coach varsity.”
“Then we’ll find an alternative.” Harrison leans forward. “This is only temporary, Ainsley.”
A rogue tear escapes, and I’m quick to swipe it away. “This woman gets to dictate what happens to my livelihood, and then what? How do you plan on resolving this?” I swing my gaze to Susan. “You said I had options.”
She shifts in her seat. “Well, you could step down as head coach, and all of this will go away. Mrs. Morales is seeking what she deems justice, so if you’re no longer coaching the lacrosse team, then that’ll quell her.”
I cough out an incredulous laugh. “I will not be stepping down. I earned that position.”
Pricilla smirks. “Which is why you have the option to take the paid leave, and let us do our jobs.”
There’s more they’re not telling me. I hate this cryptic shit. It’s always like this when it comes to teaching. We’re the ones on the front lines, yet we get the least information.
“We will contact you after the formal investigation has been conducted,” Harrison says. “But should you be seen on school property, we will be forced to terminate you indefinitely.”
God, this is so unfair.
A knock on the door draws my attention.
“Come in,” Harrison says.
The door swings open, and Landon’s large body fills the frame. His brown eyes search mine, worry creasing his brows. “What’s going on?”
“Sit down.” Harrison gestures to the chair beside mine. “Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice.”
