Rumblefish said it twice... principal, then police (if it comes to that). Heed his advice.
I am a member of my local school district's board of trustees. Very seldom does anyone ever come before us with a problem, because it is usually dealt with well before it would get to us. If you are that mad about what happened and you want some sort of relief, your school district has a prescribed policy for handling situations like this.
Go to the district's main administrative office and ask them for a copy of their board policy pertaining to filing a grievance. Read it carefully and do exactly what it says to do - in the exact order. Here in Texas, you do things like this:
1. You and/or your parents meet with the teacher to work things out nicely.
2. If not satisfied with the results of that meeting, meet with the campus principal to work things out nicely.
3. If not satisfied with the results of that meeting, ask the superintendent for instructions to file a Level I grievance.
Now the fun starts....
In a nut shell, from here on out, it can takes weeks or months to resolve the matter. You will have 15 days to file a form, the district will have 10 days to respond, you will have 10 days to respond.... get the picture???
Level I will be with the campus principal.
Level II will be with the district superintendent.
Level III will be with the school board.
If it ever gets that far, go to the scheduled school board meeting and explain to them exactly what happened. Tell them EXACTLY what you want as relief - Jeep's hood fixed and shop teacher give you a big hug, shop teacher castrated, high school shop permanently closed and tools auctioned off - you have to be specific. I didn't say you will get what you ask for, but you do have to ask.
One thing you should keep in mind is that once you start jacking with the shop teachers job, income, or career, you can kiss off the "fun" times forever. Although state law prohibits an employee from retaliating against someone for filing a grievance, you know, as well as I do, life in shop will no longer be a tea party.
I know you came here expecting all of us to line up behind you in support and sympathy for your injustice, but I have to say, although I don't agree with the teacher bashing your hood (that's not right), my beef is with him allowing the grab-*** and horseplay in his shop that probably got all of you to where you are now. If he ran a tighter ship (shop) and didn't allow the type of antics you allude to happening all the time, this might not have happened.
Shops can be very dangerous places, with a potential for very serious injuries. Power tools, heavy objects, flying sparks, sharp metal edges, flames near volatile liquids, slippery floors from spilled fluids, you name it. Allowing the students to forego all safety procedures and play "bash the car" is simply opening himself and the district up for serious lawsuits.
Should the shop teacher have whacked your hood? No. Should he fix it or the district pay to fix it? Yes. Should he be in trouble by his principal? Yes, but for more than just the hood incident. Should you be in trouble? Yes, for what you describe as actions that should have gotten you expelled long ago.
My recommendations:
1. Calmly and rationally meet with the shop teacher and make nice. Work it out so he agrees to fix the hood (maybe you can help and learn some bodyworking skills). Maybe even get an apology from him.
2. Admit to him that you haven't been a model student and you will pay more attention to shop safety and you will cut the crap out.
3. Finally, do just that. Have fun where fun is to be had, but realize you are there to learn skills. Don't forget, all your antics in class may be taking time and focus away from other students who are wanting to learn.
Of course, all of this comes from my 51 years of experience compared to your 16-18 years. I wasn't always this wise and sage, I was young once, too.
Jerry
