"Maybe more."
"To whom?"
"Student services."
"Who?"
"Mrs. Collins."
He immediately picked up the phone.
"Bring me every complaint involving Evelyn Hart."
The administrator on the other end hesitated.
"Sir?"
"Every complaint."
"From this semester?"
"From the day she enrolled."
There was silence.
"Sir, that's a lot of records."
"Then start searching."
He hung up.
Evelyn stared at him.
"Dad..."
He looked at her.
"I'm sorry."
She shook her head.
"This isn't your fault."
"It is if it happened under my roof."
Then he stood.
"And I'm going to find out why."
The first file arrived twenty minutes later.
Then another.
Then another.
Daniel read them.
His expression changed.
The first complaint:
Harassment in cafeteria.
Resolution: No evidence.
Second:
Damaged personal property.
Resolution: Student conflict.
Third:
Online humiliation.
Resolution: Student disagreement.
Fourth:
Threatening behavior.
Resolution: Unverified.
Fifth:
Locker vandalism.
Resolution: No witnesses.
Sixth:
Repeated verbal harassment.
Resolution: Parties advised to avoid one another.
Seventh:
Physical intimidation.
Resolution: Closed.
Daniel stared at the final line.
Closed.
He looked at the date.
Three days earlier.
The same week Madison had cornered Evelyn behind the gym.
Daniel stood.
"Who closed these?"
The administrator looked nervous.
"Assistant Principal Cross."
"Bring her here."
Valerie arrived ten minutes later.
She looked calm.
"Principal Hart."
"Sit."
She sat.
Daniel placed the files on the desk.
"Why didn't I see these?"
Valerie glanced at them.
"They were minor student conflicts."
"Seven complaints."
"Teenagers argue."
"Threats?"
"Unverified."
"Vandalism?"
"No witnesses."
"Online harassment?"
"Handled."
Daniel's voice became colder.
"Handled how?"
Valerie crossed her hands.
"We spoke to the students."
"Which students?"
"Everyone involved."
"Names."
Valerie hesitated.
"Sir..."
"Names."
She finally gave them.
Daniel wrote each one down.
Then he looked at her.
"Where are the parent notifications?"
Valerie blinked.
"What?"
"These complaints involved repeated harassment. Where are the notifications?"
She didn't answer.
Daniel opened another file.
Nothing.