17-year-old stands up to substitute teacher who confiscated cochlear implants thinking they were headphones, principal gets involved and student gets suspended: 'I started full on yelling at this lady'

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Isabella Penn
Apr 19, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

Remember when you were a kid and coming into school with a substitute teacher was either the best day ever or the worst? There was no middle ground. On the one hand, you could score the perfect sub who'd pop in a movie and let the class zone out all day. On the other hand, you might get the strict sub who decided to try to take control of the class, but they had no idea where you were in the lesson and ended up just leaving everyone confused. It's wild to think that nowadays, substitute teachers don't even need a degree in education to step in. Some of them are literally just filling a gap and hoping they make it through the day without things falling apart. But I guess that's basically how the rest of us feel at our jobs anyway.

This 17-year-old got the short end of the stick when it comes to subs. She tried to confiscate his cochlear implants, thinking they were just some regular headphones even after he explained they weren't. Things only got worse from there. 

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  • "AITAH For Shouting at a Teacher After She Took My CI’s In Class?"

    Before getting in to this, a little background information is needed. I (17M) was born deaf to a hearing family. My family and I sign at home but I need to speak while at school as the high school
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  • I go to isn't the most accessible or disability friendly. When I was nine, my parents paid for me to get a surgery to receive cochlear implants (CI's) which I only really use when at school or out
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  • with my hearing friends that don't sign. I attend a mainstream school and as I stated, it isn't disability friendly. Now, onto the situation at hand.
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  • Yesterday I was wearing a beanie in class. Now, usually that wouldn't be a problem when it is my normal teacher but yesterday we had a sub. The beanie I was wearing
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  • was covering the transmitter of my CI, while the part that hooks onto my ear was noticeable. I know that there are quite a lot of kids that tend to get into
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  • trouble because they'd wear AirPods or whatever devices people use nowadays for music that aren't headphones, mainly because those aren't allowed in classes.
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  • Usually, my teachers are aware of my Cl and know that it in fact is not a music device so I never have any trouble but this was a sub teacher, she wasn't aware of my Cl's at first. Keep in mind that 'at first'.
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  • While doing some assignments, this sub who we'll call Mrs K, came up to my desk. I don't know what exactly she thought. my Cl's were but she didn't like them.
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    Sounds like she was on a power trip. 

  • Originally, she questioned me and told me to remove them immediately or she'd have to write me up. I explained to her, made her very aware that what I was wearing were for me
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  • to hear her and even took off my beanie to show her. She pretty much called bulls and attempted to take my Cl's off. This was an absolute no-no. I, on instinct,
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  • slapped her hands away and stood up before starting to lecture her, telling her she has no right to try and take my CI's. After this little stir, I sat
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  • back down, thinking that the situation was most likely over. I was wrong. A little bit afterwards, she came up from behind me and literally snatched my CI's from off my head.
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  • After this I got up yet again and started full on yelling at this lady, telling her that she is not allowed to take assistive devices and threatened to report her. I know in this situation, me getting
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  • physically wasn't the right response but I was scared as h I that she'd break them so I grabbed her hands and tried to get my Cl's back, which I didn't. Of course after that she
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  • called the principal in and me having no clue what the h I was being said, I just straight up told the principal that she took my Cl's and isn't giving them back. In the end, I got my Cl's back, but obviously
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  • due to me putting my hands on a staff member I got suspended and my principal said I was in the wrong for the situation. My dad is threatening to report this sub teacher to the administration. So, Am I The Ahle?
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  • Snugglebunny 1983 NTA, and the school shouldn't do anything to you. Your dad should look for a good lawyer and sue the school and the substitute.
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  • ben_kosar I'd consult a laywer, this school should probably be sued. Many schools seem to have lost and settled cases like this before.
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  • One_Worldliness 1846 I am SHOCKED the school suspended you, if only because they are opening themselves up to a disability lawsuit.
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  • I'm not sure what country you are in, and what your laws around disability access are, but: 1. not the a hole, and this is coming from a former teacher (and someone with physical
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  • disabilities). If a student got aggressive with me BECAUSE I TOOK HIS HEARING DEVICES, I would absolutely deserve it 2. I recommend looking into disability law and education code for
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  • your region, as well as seeking out any local disability advocacy orgs who can support you. In my mind, that main things are 1. Ensuring subs are aware of your disability
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  • needs, 2. Striking this from your record, 3. Whatever other steps feels necessary for you to reach justice
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principal teacher entitled people substitute school students classroom teenagers petty revenge entitled people karma high school headphones
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