A mother who tore into her 13-year-old daughter’s teacher after he read her private diary has been applauded by netizens.

The mother and original poster (OP), Reddit user Lopsided_Shine_7866, recounted the incident on r/AITAH, explaining that her daughter has recently been struggling socially at school so the OP had encouraged her to keep a diary to help her process her emotions.

“She’s loved the diary, a lot, writing in it multiple times a day, and of course, I do not check what she writes as it is her personal property,” the OP noted.

However, when her daughter accidentally left her bag behind in the classroom, her teacher went through it, found her diary, and read it.

The OP wrote, “He took out of registration in the morning to lecture not only about leaving her bag behind but also about the rude words she used in her diary.”

When her child returned home in tears, the OP immediately called the school and confronted the teacher.

“After confirming the situation, tearing him a new one and then proverbially shoving it where the sun doesn’t shine, I told him I would be removing my daughter from his class and telling the principal,” the OP wrote.

“I am so angry at the moment”

“I then rang one of my friends to vent to her about the situation, and to my absolute shock, she criticized me for treating a young teacher so poorly, [saying] that he was probably still learning about what he was allowed to do and that I should be grateful he took the time to treat my daughter specially.

“I think that if it was her child she would be singing a much different tune, but perhaps I am incredibly biased as I am so angry at the moment.”

According to Parents.com, experts advise parents to address issues with teachers and school administrators directly if they believe their child has been mistreated—as the OP did. “Begin by clearly stating what your concerns are and requesting a meeting with the teacher and a school official if necessary,” the article advises.

The importance of supporting children emotionally during challenging periods at school is highlighted by the Child Development Institute, which recommends parents create safe spaces for children to express their feelings and build resilience.

In this case, the OP had done just that by encouraging her daughter to use a diary to help process her thoughts and feelings.

Redditors React

Despite some divided opinions, the overwhelming majority of Redditors responding to the incident applauded the OP’s response, arguing that the teacher had overstepped professional and ethical boundaries.

One wrote, “You stood up for your daughter’s privacy. He had no right to read her diary,” while another added, “Leaving her bag behind was not an invitation to violate her privacy and read her diary. The point of a diary is to have a place to put your thoughts and a way to express yourself.”

“He violated her privacy, and that is wrong,” one Redditor noted. “It would have been entirely different, although still not okay, if he found the diary lying around and he went through it, but he took the time to go through her bag, found her diary, and then read it.

“He is the AH here. His job description does not include her private life. You did a great job standing up for your daughter.”

Newsweek has contacted Lopsided_Shine_7866 comment via Reddit.

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