Man shares fierce 1998 letter his mom wrote to the headmaster who called him 'worthless' and 'thick'

During school days, most of us meet wonderful teachers who are always ready to show their support; yet, we all agree that there is always that one educator who is clearly different from the others—always rude, arrogant, and, moreover, a bully. Instead of understanding a child’s plight, their brash side often hampers not only the learning process but also affects kids' mental well-being. However, one such headmaster got a taste of his own medicine when one of his student's moms decided to call out his problematic behavior. London-based writer Henry Wismayer, also known as @henrywismayer, took to X to share a letter his mother penned on July 7, 1998.

The then-young Henry’s mom came out in his support of her son like a true mama bear. The powerful letter started with the angry mother recalling a recent meeting she had with her son’s headmaster. “I came to your office yesterday prepared to agree with your assessment of my son's character and prospects. I was also willing to support you in any decision you made regarding his future,” it read.

Henry’s mom was initially informed that the meeting would discuss her son's absence from the school’s athletic competition. However, it later turned out to be a rant against the child, as the headmaster spent 45 minutes asserting that he was “worthless,” “arrogant,” “lazy” and “selfish.” The mother had expected that the educator would talk about her son’s future; instead, she was told, “I'll have to suspend him because that's what I did with the other boy.” This came as a major disappointment for her, as the teacher continued to mock her son.

“Neither you nor anyone else had any more time for him, and he was ‘too thick to realize that his future depends on the reference I give him,’” she added. Notably, Henry was called “thick” on six different occasions during the formal meeting, his mother claimed. She further felt threatened by the headmaster implying that he would “tarnish her son’s reputation.”

“No university or employer will consider him (Henry) when I have finished with him,” were the words used by the headmaster, stated Henry’s mom. This was considered “unbecoming” of the man in his position or stature by the upset mother. She further asserted that the educator was “out of control” and that he had no intention of handling the situation rationally.

The letter, with around 322K views on the microblogging platform, referred to the headmaster as “the worst sort of bully,” unlikely to be held accountable for his actions. “It is easy to destroy a child with an unremitting torrent of criticism and abuse, and I am ashamed to say that I have, until now, supported your grossly distorted assessment of Henry's shortcomings. I mistakenly believed that you were a man whose judgment I could trust,” it elaborated. The mother, in anguish, dared the educator to stop disciplining her son and pass on the responsibility to another teacher less blinded by prejudice and spite.

The post managed to trigger widespread responses, with online scrollers rallying around Henry’s mom for doing the “right thing.” Among them, @FrMartinFlatman wrote, “What an excellent mother. I am glad to note you are a gardener! It reminds me of my wife writing a brief note to the school after they complained that my son wasn't interested in sport: ‘Not all Greeks are Spartans.’” “My mother marched across the school cricket pitch when I was upset about not making the team on finals day, with my teacher umpiring and the whole school watching,” @AlanWain9 said.