The Black Journal
Ella
So the bus driver knew that he's at the bottom of the totem pole
Ella
The people doing this are probably at the top; a teacher, an administrator!
Ella
He doesn't even know which one!
Ella
If he stands up against them right now, he would get fired!
Ella
Then they would replace him with a new bus driver!
Ella
Who is to say, the new bus driver isn't a predator?
Ella
No! He had to stay where he was to at least try and protect the kids!
Ella
But his job is done once he drops them off!
Ella
He can't sit in class with them to protect them!
Ella
He knew, the smartest thing to do was to keep his mouth shut, for the sake of his own kids!
Ella
But he just couldn't do it!!
Ella
The next day, he went straight up to the head of administration, which is AKA the vice principal, and he told him everything he heard from that little girl.
Ella
At least, he expected, he thought that,
Bus driver
Okay, the vice principal is going to put on this show - at least they would pretend to look shocked - oh my God! Outraged, and promise him change them, they're gonna do an internal investigation…
Ella
The vice principal looked at him and smirked
Vice Principal
You're a bus driver, right?
Vice Principal
So just drive!
Ella
The implication being, keep silent and do your freaking job and don't stick your head in what's not your business
Ella
The bus driver knew, if this is how they're reacting to these accusations, he needed more to take down the abusers!
Ella
So, every day the bus driver became a spy!
Ella
He had never signed up for this!
Ella
He was just a bus driver!!
Ella
The minute the kids were on the bus, he would smile and he would try to nicely; as untraumatically as possible, ask about any abuse that they encountered at the hands of teachers.
Ella
When he dropped them off at school, he would look to the left and then to the right, and when the coast was clear, he would stay parked on his bus.
Ella
He pulls out his black spiral notebook.
Ella
He started furiously writing down every single detail he remembered.
Ella
He didn't want to forget a single thing about what any of the kids said.
Ella
He kept every single entry; comprehensive records; every single day, for 20 years!
Ella
He had stacks and stacks of black journals preserved in his home, in his closet, and every time he and his family would walk past it, it would catch their eye and it's just like this dark energy that's just radiating off these journals!
Ella
Some of the journal entries talked about the art teacher!
Ella
The art teacher would force female students up to the second-floor classrooms.
Ella
Second floor classrooms were empty.
Ella
He would strip them naked, so he could draw them.
Ella
These are 10-year-old girls!
Ella
Sometimes, he did more than just draw!
Ella
The story of Soyong was also in his black Journal
Ella
She was in the sixth grade when it happened to her
Ella
So, she was always called into the vice principal's office after school because her grades were too low
Ella
She watched all the other students gather their things head back to the dorm rooms as she made her way to the vice principal's office
Soyong
Okay it's gonna be miserable.
Soyong
Maybe, an hour or two of extra supervised study time!
Soyong
Maybe he would just yell at me and call it a day!
Ella
She thought to herself....
Ella
But when she stepped into the office, she stood in front of the desk with her head bowed.
Ella
She watched, as he walked behind her.
Ella
He prances it behind her and starts groping her.
Ella
She remembered screaming!
Soyong
Please somebody help me!
Vice Principal
Shut your mouth and be quiet
Ella
He started hugging her.
Ella
It escalated to a full incident!
Ella
She's in the sixth grade.
Ella
This was in the vice principal's office.
Ella
She said it hurts so much she had tears streaming down her face.
Ella
After he was done, he tossed two one dollar bills on the ground next to her!
Ella
Soyong didn't live in the dorm so she walked all the way home and the two dollars could barely buy her a cup of noodles from the convenience store.
Ella
I think it's not about the money.
Ella
I don't think any amount of money would have justified what happened to her or made it okay!
Ella
But it's almost a measly amount of money.
Ella
It is worse more degrading than no money!
Vice Principal
That's what she's worth!
Ella
...
It's basically what he's insinuating
Ella
The next day, she went to the Principal and begged him to do something about the incident
Soyong
Please, this is what happened with the vice principal!
Soyong
You're the principal!
Soyong
This is what he did to me!
Ella
The principal looked at her
Principal
You know, Soyong, you're about to be in the seventh grade, right!
Principal
That's what becoming an adult is!
Principal
You need to try and be the bigger person and show him some Grace!
Principal
Just forgive him!
Principal
If he does it again, then I can discipline him, okay?
Principal
But how about you learn to be an adult and learn some forgiveness?
Ella
Soyong was r worded three or four more times during her time at the boarding school
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