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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/SmoothArea1206 on 2023-06-17 20:16:37+00:00.
Its the late 80s/ early 90s., in the UK, but the compliance runs over about 5 years.
Puberty hit me hard and early just as I started high school. (11 years old)
If that wasn’t enough to deal with, it also saw between the acne, eczema and psoriasis my skin becoming a huge red and blotchy mess of blisters, psoriatic plaques and acne breakouts to the point just laying down left little spots on blood on shirts, t shirts and bed sheets.
Over the summer between my first and second year it got considerably worse, none of the medicated creams were helping and the only time I got any sort of relief was when I was given steroids and antibiotics for the frequent chest infections I got, but that wasn’t a long-term solution.
The second year of high school gave us a whole new bunch of school rules to abide by.
This is where the Compliance begins. By the end of the first week of the year I’d already had complaints about my appearance. My form tutor Mrs G - an amazing woman understood the issues I was having, not just with the skin - but my home life too, my folks had split (dad was a drunk- and thats a whole other story for another Reddit), so our income wasn’t great, mum worked two jobs, and her mental health wasn’t the best either dealing with the messy divorce etc.
But apparently the little blood stains on my shirt were against the new “business like” dress code - meant to prepare us for our work lives after school, so letters went home and I got a detention. Since they were in the “no exceptions” period. Mum was annoyed so we instigated an undershirt rule and short sleeve shirts to leave the worst areas open and we got our GP to issue a medical note regarding my skin after all I was there almost every week it seems. This wasn’t enough and the more unforgiving teachers really kicked up about my arms being on show and using the words “appalling” and “detrimental to the learning environment” despite my class mates knowing about the issues and not being overly bothered, so I was told off again and this time sent up to the Head of Year tutor, for a formal meeting, now Mr E. was rather amiable older guy who taught languages and he had a well-known catchphrase in the school " I like it. I do it myself. just not in school" which was used liberally when it came to catching kids with shirts untucked, smoking or making out under the staircases.
He was apologetic knowing it was a medical issue and requested the GP "to do something- repeating the line detrimental to the learning environment and that being in the business of learning I had to conform.
I was given 14 days for my skin to improve, or I would be placed in more detentions as per policy.
2 weeks go by and my skin from stress was breaking out everywhere, so I end up in detention each night for a week - missing the school bus, which really pissed my mum off and her boss, given she had to come and collect me, since it would have taken over an hour for me to walk home.
Each time Mr E or another Year Tutor was there complaining about the state of my skin and asking why I wasn’t taken to a doctor – each time my mum showing the appointment slips and notes from the GP.
Finally it seemed like my arms were settling just as my face erupted with acne and shaving my face was a mess – this pissed off the school even more.
So my mum suggested that one of the teachers like Mr E attend a doctors appointment with me and to tell the Doctor what they thought – they discussed this and eventually it was decided that the teacher to come along was Mr E himself.
Mr E, complained at the order that came from the Headmaster – a grizzled old teacher who had a dirty unkempt beard and eyebrows like rutting caterpillars. And he passed on his complaints to me and my mother. I did my best to ignore his eyes that seemed to be drilling into me angrily. As my mum went in to speak to my doctor first for her appointment, she explained what was happening as I was called in next…
Mr E stormed into the room ahead of me immediately trying to lay down school rules I remember phrases like “this is school policy” and “our job to prepare them for working life” and “I don’t care about side effects of medication it needs to be done – now”.
The Doctor – looked down over his glasses and just asked – “ you are?” smiling at my mum.
To which Mr E. did an impression like a goldfish.
He asked to see my back and arms so I took off my shirt – for the first time Mr E saw the full extent of the issue and just went white.
The Doc said to anyone who was listening “ stress and puberty don’t help conditions like this, and they will given time normally settle down – he asked if I’d been using the cream- I nodded, as he picked at one problematic area removing one of the plaques saying he send this to the lab as it looked a little unusual.
Mr E remained quiet as he examined me further looking at how easy my skin bled in certain areas, the Doc said I could get dressed again.
“You’re a teacher??” he said looking at Mr E.
“I’m a school Governor for X school (our immediate rival) and I’m also on the Local Education Authority board”
Mr E’s colour still hadn’t returned – but he nodded.
The Doc then went to his computer and typed out another letter – this time effectively adding that I can be excused from the usual rules as a new medical policy was being written by the LEA that all schools must follow.
He then told Mr. E he could leave…
He sat and chatted to both me and my mum for a while and basically said to continue what I was doing and it will clear up. He said the letters will be at the desk along with another presecription for us both.
Mum gave Mr E the letter and just said I hope that puts an end to this nonsense.
Mum didn’t bother dropping Mr E back at school.
The next day Mr E ignored me, and to be honest most of the teachers were either their usual grouchy self or sickly sweet with Mrs G being her usual happy self asking about the appointment as if she knew what had gone down in the staff meeting.
End of term was upon us so for a whole fortnight I didn’t bother shaving and let my face just rest.
So the return to school I shaved and cleaned up the best I could.
And Mr E was immediately on my case, be it my work in his French and Spanish class or just in general. I’d go home and tell mum all about it as she would take notes.
Now into year 9 (or third year of high school). 14 years old. Its 1991.
Skin was healing in parts, but my face looked like a volcano, and I’d grown out a neat little moustache which my mum and helped me neatly trim and we had managed to sort out the really dry lips so I could eat and drink without them splitting which had put me off food.
Now the new medical exemption had come into effect, forcing the school to change their rules.
As I got off the bus I could see the teachers immediately go into meltdown over the facial hair, and they weren’t happy…
I got to Lunchtime before I was dragged by my collar into the year tutors office and had 3 of them and a deputy head lay into me about it.
The demanded I remove it – handing me a single cheap razor, that looked as if it had been used.
I refused to shave – citing my medical note, and that I would use anyone else’s razor purely for my own safety given the existing issues.
So I was sent home.
It seems my mum had been called- so she had called the doctor about it given his role in the LEA.
I arrived at school the next day my moustache still in place – and was called into the Headmaster Office – only to introduced to the Chair of the LEA and my Doctor, with the Head looking a little brow beaten.
Apparently the Chair had already been shown photos of my back and arms by my doctor, and could see what’s happening with my face and the neat moustache, he asked me a few questions and smiled, saying this wasn’t my fault etc.
And that a new rule especially for my school was being put in place and it would be checked frequently and I or any student could ask for a surprise check to be made by LEA staff.
The new rule was if students were meant to live by the strict dress and appearance code then so were the teachers, and only those with medical exemptions like mine were allowed – but it had to be neat and tidy.
I was there to see an announcement being made over the rarely used school tannoy system, it was reconfirmed in the school assemblies over the following week.
Letters went home to parents and it seemed there was a sigh of relief among them as it seems I wasn’t the only one getting grief from the rules that had been in place.
The teachers had two weeks to adjust.
The whole LEA was there to check the teachers and a number had public meltdowns in regards to their appearance including the deputy head Mrs B who normally wore layers of make up and blue eye shadow, who swore up and down she was exempt cos she was deputy head. Stories spread around the school like wildfire. Even Mr R, the Headmaster lost his beard
Yes, I got more grief about it, but Mrs G kept them away from my grades.
The moustache stayed until the end of my time in high school funnily enough over that summer my skin seemed to clear up almost instantaneously, so by my first day of college to do my A Levels my face was clear and I could shave off the moustache.
My brother attended the school the September after I left. The teachers didn’t give him a hard time for fear of what he would do, but the firm rule stayed in place about teachers appearance until the school merged with the rival back in 2013
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