“Don’t Use Her Name.”

My son witnessed an assault against a young woman in his P.E. Class. A situation of a young man wielding a hockey stick where it should never, ever go.

The school administration handled it well, which is why I feel okay writing about it here. It doesn’t need to be rehashed or revisited, but my son’s response to the whole thing – that deserves to be repeated.

In the locker room after the incident, he brought all of his classmates together.

He asked them to make a pact to never be silent if that happens to a girl. Speak up. Get involved. Help her.

“And as we leave this locker room,” he said, “as this story starts to spread, let’s all agree: Don’t Use Her Name. It’s her story to tell if she wants to tell it. It’s our job to protect her identity, her dignity, and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

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