The principal states that if you are hit, you must run away. If you strike back you can be expelled. I have always had a problem with that.
What he is really saying is that when he hits you, he wants you to run away otherwise he will really hit you. The man is a bully.
This policy has been ruled illegal in every case brought for suit. Everyone has the right of self-defense when threatened. If your state is a No-Retreat state then the school district can probably be explicitly sued for damages if harm came from something like this and that man can also be held personally liable.
So now what? I have asked to meet with the District Superintendent. .. I pointed out that perhaps there is a disconnect between their feelings and anecdotal evidence, and what the actual data says. I haven�t started burning bridges, but I am still moving politely, and non-confrontationally forward.
What state are you in and what is that state's policy and is the district in violation of that policy?
What precedent exists within the district? In Surrounding districts? In top districts in the area? Can you get copies of acceleration policies from other districts to show them?
What procedures do they have to arrive at a decision like this and can they provide the documents showing they properly followed procedure?
Can you contact an advocacy agency (ie DYS) or professional advocate ( Pyschologist ) to help you?
There is now published literature on the effects of acceleration and you can use it to buttress your case.
http://www.tagpdx.org/accelera.htmIMHO this man is a bully and you have to get him to knuckle under now or he will just lord it over you in other ways.
Implicit ridicule is an effective method and I'll bet a female professional advocate taking him apart in front of the school board would be the best tactic.
Here is another idea.
If you cannot reach them from a rational argument, then you need to use emotional arguments with them and induce them. People who do things from emotion will do things for fear, jealousy, altruism, and or vanity. It then becomes a sales job.
My guess is that given their rigidity, fear will only make them more conservative in their decisions. Altruism would be used to justify the "social" part. That leaves vanity and jealousy.
Perhaps finding out what they aspire to or are proud of or jealous of may give you the foot in the door. Maybe using other districts' policies as a means to induce both emotions would get them off their rock? It would also give them a model to follow and political cover..
