She Framed Me As Unfit So I’ll See Her In Court Chapter 22
The court sent the hearing notice the next day. It was set for one week later.
The notice had barely landed in my lawyer’s inbox before Caleb’s lawyer called.
“They’re willing to pay a settlement.” My lawyer hit speaker and named a number large enough that Maya and I wouldn’t have to worry about rent for years. “On the condition that you withdraw the case and sign a confidentiality agreement.”
The voice on the other end added, “Mr. Carter hopes both sides will think of the child.”
I looked at the photo of Maya’s backpack on my desk.
“Tell him that my daughter’s safety and my name being cleared are not things with a price tag.”
My lawyer relayed it exactly.
Silence stretched on the other end for a moment. “There’s no room to negotiate?”
“None.”
“Then we’ll see you in court.”
“See you in court.”
When the call ended, my lawyer asked what else we needed to prepare.
“Serve Principal Hanley with a subpoena.”
I wanted her standing in front of a judge, explaining why the bottle had appeared in a student’s backpack and what the school had done after it was found.
Then I emailed my lawyer a list of Hanley’s three failures: when she found a dangerous item, her first response was to tell me to reflect on the home environment; when there was clear reason to suspect a setup, she urged me to settle it privately; and before receiving the preservation notice, she conducted no investigation and took no protective measures.
At the end of the email, I wrote:
“No matter the outcome of the hearing, all of this will be included in my formal complaint to the school board.”
My lawyer replied quickly. “The subpoena will be served today.”
I set down my phone.
Outside the window, the gray Fulton County courthouse stood at the end of the street.
This time, it would not only be Caleb and Sloan answering questions.
Everyone who called danger a family matter and negligence mediation would have to leave their answers on the court record.