Chapter 23 - Ms. Cole
The preschool teacher struggled with guilt.
She had heard Lila say:
Daddy talks in the floor
two days before reporting.
Why not immediately?
Because imaginative grief statements are common.
A deceased mother.
Missing father.
A four-year-old.
Context matters.
What changed?
The exact phrase:
“Get a grown-up. Not Uncle Adrian.”
Ms. Cole recognized it as potentially actionable.
She called child services and police.
Training at the preschool later used the case carefully.
Not:
Believe every literal statement without assessment.
Instead:
Document exact words.
Notice changes.
Ask minimal open questions.
Report concerning statements through proper channels.
May you like
Do not investigate the child yourself.
That distinction protected children better than mythology.
