"Teacher, Please Look at My Son's Clothes"... Homeroom Teacher Tells Parent Raising School Violence Allegations, "There's No Evidence"—What Happened?

Students Put Holes in Friend’s Jacket
Homeroom Teacher Says, "This Is Not Evidence of School Violence"

The controversy surrounding an alleged case of school violence at a middle school in Seoul is intensifying as the incident gains wider attention. Public outrage is growing amid claims that, despite clear evidence of damage to the victim's clothing, the school responded passively, citing a "lack of evidence" rather than taking definitive action.

Photo of Mr. A's son wearing a padded jacket. There appears to be a hole pierced as if by an awl. Screenshot from SNS

On June 4, a post titled "The Reason My Middle School Son Can't Wear the Padded Jacket His Father Bought Him" spread rapidly on social media. The post detailed the ordeal experienced by the child, as recounted by the victim’s parents.

The author, Mr. A, said he recently noticed several holes in his son's padded jacket that appeared to be pierced with an awl, which raised his suspicions. In the process of questioning his son, he claimed to have learned that the damage had been inflicted by other students.

Mr. A immediately reported the situation to the homeroom teacher, who responded by saying that they would summon the alleged perpetrator and verify the facts. However, what followed did not align with Mr. A’s expectations.

"He Said He Agreed"... School Violence Judgment Deferred

According to Mr. A, the teacher stated the accused student claimed, "The victim said it was okay to make the holes," and expressed that it would be difficult to conclude it was school violence based solely on one side's account.

Mr. A countered, "There is no reason my son would tell someone to put holes in a new jacket," but the teacher reportedly deferred making a clear judgment, again citing a lack of evidence.

Perpetrator’s Parents: "Our Child Would Never Do That"

Subsequently, Mr. A requested at least an apology and compensation for the damages, and the teacher facilitated contact with the perpetrator’s parents. However, the parents of the accused student also denied responsibility, insisting, "Our child is not the type to do such a thing." They reportedly added, "If several children were involved, why should we bear all the responsibility?"

Eventually, Mr. A was informed a few days later that an apology had been made. However, Mr. A said, "When I asked my son how he received the apology, he told me the perpetrator said, 'I only did it because you told me to, but I'm sorry.' Despite witnessing this, the teacher contacted me to say an apology had been made."

Need for More Proactive Investigation and Clearer Criteria

Mr. A expressed his frustration, saying, "I’m fed up with both the school and the parents. I’m angry at myself for trying to resolve things politely with everyone involved." He added, "The group of perpetrators still act with impunity at school." Finally, he appealed, "The violence my son experienced was nothing short of serious group bullying for a middle schooler. If it takes public attention for the gravity of the situation to be recognized, I am asking for help in any way possible."

Online, criticism continues to mount with comments such as, "How can we trust schools with our children when this is how they respond?" and "They avoid responsibility even with clear evidence." Some point out that the school violence response system remains at a mere dispute mediation level, and there are growing calls for more proactive investigations and clearer standards for judgment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.