AITJ for setting up a fake online meetup to confront my daughters classmate who STOLE her jacket?
I (38F) have a 14year old daughter. She spent months saving her allowance to buy this specific, trendy jacket she really wanted. She was so proud of it.
Theres this girl in her class who is always making snarky comments about my daughter. This classmate actually told my daughter she wanted the jacket, but her parents wouldn’t buy it for her.
Last week, my daughters jacket went missing from her locker during PE class. She came home crying. The classmate told the teacher she saw my daughter leave the jacket at the park, which was a total lie. The school said they couldnt do anything without proof.
Two days later, i was scrolling on facebook marketplace. I saw the exact same jacket listed for sale in our local town group. The seller? The classmates mom. i knew 100% it was my daughters bcoz i had sewn a tiny, hidden custom patch on the inside pocket and theres a embroidered personalize name of my daughter.
Instead of calling the school, i used my sisters facebook account to message the mom. I said i wanted to buy the jacket for her asking price in cash, and we agreed to meet at a busy local coffee shop.
When the mom showed up, she actually had her daughter (the classmate) with her. I walked right up to their table. I didnt scream, but i spoke loud enough for the people around us to hear. I said, wow, thanks so much for finding my daughters stolen jacket. I’ll be taking that back now.
The classmate immediately started crying. Her mom turned bright red and started yelling that i was harassing them and that i was crazy. I calmly opened the jacket, showed the hidden patch to the barista and a few people watching, grabbed the jacket, and walked out.
Now the classmates mom is threatening to call the police on me for theft. The school counselor called me saying i traumatized the girl by publicly embarrassing her and that i should have handled it privately through the school. My husband thinks i went a little overboard and should have just told the principal. Am I the jerk?
TL;DR: My daughters classmate stole her expensive jacket, and the classmates mom tried to sell it online. I set up a fake buyer meetup, confronted them in public, and took it back. Now the school and the mom say i traumatized the kid.
HERE ARE OTHERS OP:
Organic_Yogurt_778 • 4d ago
nahhh you’re not the jerk. if anything you’re the mom i lowkey wish i had at 14, that’s some protective mama bear energy and i respect it.
Mochicat4 • 4d ago
Mom trying to call the police is comedy. Like yes officer, I’d like to report… that I got caught reselling a stolen jacket with personalized embroidery?? Babe. Also, bringing the daughter to the meetup?? ma’am you really pulled up with the evidence and the culprit as your plus-one.
Gracelandrocks • 4d ago
And school counselor- if the woman’s daughter had so little shame she could stoop to stealing her classmates stuff, she can’t be shamed further by OP. The school seems to condone stealing.
debrabunny2693 • 4d ago
lol for real, she basically handed you the case file and the perp on a silver platter. what was she thinking no cap
Ambitious-Radish-981 • 4d ago
I absolutely agree. If she wants to go to the police about it remind her to let her daughter know that there’s a such thing as juvenile detention for underage thieves. Especially since you already tried to handle it through the school and have countless witnesses at this point. The school should be ashamed of themselves for siding with kids Mom. Maybe getting publicly embarrassed is what she needs to not do that again imo Great job momma!
fem_signal • 4d ago
Public shaming + red-handed capture is more than enough of a lesson
In any case, the school was the first to give up
WHAT IS YOUR OP????
