The Boarding School

Quarantined

Katelyn Stone

Katelyn Stone sat at her desk, thoroughly confused. Where could they have gone? The midterm essays her students' turned in were missing and she couldn't imagine where they were. She reimagined her steps. They were definitely on her desk before she locked up the night before. And they were here this morning, when she put them into her drawer, which she locked. 

"Miss Stone, please come to my office," the principal leaned into her classroom, where she was kneeling on the floor, crawling awkwardly behind her desk. She sat up, head just coming up over the top of the desk. The principal had already started down the hallway, adding a quick, "Now," as he went.

Katelyn stood, brushed off her skirt, readjusted her heels, and made her way to his office. Her heels clicked primly on the hallway. Unlike Ally's, which had a sharp, authoritative click, Katelyn's had a unassuming, but sure pattern to it. 

"Take a seat," he motioned to chair in front of his desk.

Katelyn pressed her hands against her skirt as she sat down, then placed them in her lap. She noticed immediately the stack of papers on his brown desk. Those were the missing essays!

"First, skirts aren't allowed, Miss Stone, it can send girls the wrong impression and make them feel obligated to abide by a patriarchal standard of female beauty and behavior. Gender roles."

"I am going out tonight, I did not wear it while teaching," she replied, "I was in my classroom to bring some homework to my room to grade."

"Yes, about your class," he put his hand on the stack of papers, "I've read a few."

"Yes?" Katelyn's eyes followed his hand to the essays. An unspoken tension filled the room; a tension they laudably pretended did not exist.

"Miss Stone," he said for a second time, "These essays you're allowing the students to write are inappropriate."

"Pardon?"

"This one is titled, 'Modern Day Racism: Fact or Fiction,' and this one, 'Gender Wage Gap: Fact or Fiction,'" he looked at the paper to read another title, "'Genders, Two and More: Fact or Fiction,' 'Alt-Right Fascism: Fact or Fiction,' 'Liberals and Liberties: Fact or Fiction.' They all finish with fact or fiction," he remarked.

"Yes, we are on our fact or fiction section of the syllabus," Katelyn replied, her voice was mellow and submissive, but only coming out of her mouth. "The students choose an accepted fact and critically analyze it and finish with an explanation of they now believe in contrast to what they've been led to believe by - by the authority figures in their life, such as parents or community." It was important she chose the right words and spoke in them in the right tone.

"One of the students says that the topics discussed makes her feel unsafe."

Katelyn's voice could not be more concerned, "Discussing the gender wage gap makes her feel unsafe? Does she believe one of the boys will abuse her because of the discussion?"

"Yes," the response was so genuine it was all she could do to hide the twitch of her lip, "Many of the topics cause the students to feel as though they may not be protected by their teacher. It is crucial that all the students who may have experienced marginalization be made to feel safe."

"So, any ideas that challenge their perspective must be shut down immediately," Katelyn spelled it out dryly, "because those students obviously have the wrong perspective."

He looked at her for moment and for a split second, gentle Katelyn became worried he was catching on to what she was implying. "I believe you understand. I know you are a creative writing class and like to explore different topics, but some topics are best left unspoken because they create an unsafe, hateful environment for the students."