Dear Eric: My nephew is a fifth-grader who was called an ugly racial epithet by a classmate. His parents did not want to cause a fuss and give this bully power over their son by calling him out. What is the best way to deal with a verbal assault when it involves children?
— Vexed
Dear Vexed: While I understand the parents’ reticence to give the bully the attention he craves, one would hope that the school has procedures to correct this kind of behavior…