An account by a teacher who said a parent demanded reimbursement for taxi fare after a field trip is drawing attention online. Controversy is growing after reports that, even though the student overslept and could not depart with teammates in the same group, the parent argued the school was responsible.
On the 9th, a post by middle school teacher A, who said a parent called to complain after a field trip, was uploaded to several online communities. A explained that, before the trip, the class was divided into groups so students could travel together. Students in the same group waited near one student's home to depart together, but the student reportedly did not join because of oversleeping.
According to A, the parent complained that the child, a second-year middle school student, had to travel alone to the field trip site. The student took a taxi to the subway station, and the parent reportedly argued that the school should cover the taxi fare.
The parent also reportedly filed a grievance claiming the homeroom teacher did not adequately consider that the child has attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a developmental trait that can involve difficulty with attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. In the post, A expressed frustration along the lines of, "The student is in the second year of middle school—do I have to teach how to take the subway?"
As the account spread, online reactions showed sympathy for the teacher's appeal. Some commenters said it was excessive to hold the school responsible even for the fact that the student overslept. There were also calls for stronger protections for teachers' authority.
There were opposing views as well. Some commenters said it was inappropriate to publicly criticize the parent and student online without knowing all the specific circumstances. Concerns were also raised about conflicts between teachers and parents spreading through online exposés.
In legal circles, the interpretation is that it would be difficult to recognize liability for damages on the part of the school or teacher in such cases. A teacher's duty to protect and supervise is limited to preventing accidents that are ordinarily foreseeable within school activities or closely related daily contexts. It is difficult to see a duty for the teacher to foresee or prevent circumstances such as a student oversleeping at home and failing to join the group's travel.