Is this on me? Am I to blame for this boy's problem

A few months ago I was investing a lot of time, money, and energy into preparing a boy to go deer hunting. He was a former student of mine who had a really sad past. His father was profoundly autistic, and couldn't love or care about anyone. His mother was into drugs. When children's services finally rescued him and his sister, he was not eating on weekends, he was only eating school lunches and breakfasts, and sleeping in a corner, because that was the only part of the dog pooped rug that wasn't covered in maggots. His Grandmother got custody. She had problems because her new second husband specifically said he didn't want children; he could not be a mentor to them.

The grandmother manages an Italian restaurant near where I work. She mentioned the boy liked me and would like me to take him shooting and hunting.

So I spent a lot of time, money, and energy taking him shooting, getting him a hunting license and whatnot, buying him a hunting license. Finally, matters came to a head. The woman just couldn't get over the fact that I was gay, and was just too afraid of the idea that I might molest her grandson. Well, OK, I understand that. The majority of the population equates homosexuality with child molestation. Why should she be any different? That's only two cities in America give contractual protection to Gays in the teaching field. So as soon as she raised that issue, I immediately cut all ties between her, and her grandson and I. They don't exist. I stopped calling, I blocked their phone calls.

Now, I am learning from teachers at my school who go to the restaurant where the grandmother works that I am a bad guy. Apparently, the boy, who was a good student has apparently lost all interest in school and his behavior is terrible. He apparently felt rejected by me, and went into a depression. The Grandmother is bad mouthing me, and saying how I "pulled the rug" from the boy, and what a horrible person I am. HUH? She flat out told me she was concerned that I MIGHT be a child molester. Once you do THAT, what do you expect me to do but sever all ties? After she raised that issue, what choice did I have but to immediately stop all contact with her and her family?

I don't think you were wrong at all. It's sad that the boy is in the middle but that should be on his grandmother, not on you at all. You were protecting yourself by cutting all ties. If someone accused me of being a child molester I wouldn't have anything to do with them either.

You did not do ANYTHING wrong. You are a victim of discrimination.

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The one who loses out in this is the little boy. I feel very sad for him.

It is totally her fault. However you should not have gone to such extremes how do you know that she was not calling to apologize and say that she was sorry at first. Then only bad mouthed you later when you would not talk to them. The boy certainly does not need to be punished for this.

I do think that you both over reacted a bit.

It is partly your fault for taking a boy under your wing who is not a family member or a friend of your family. Teachers and students should have distance and not spend time together alone outsie of school. I think you may have brought this on by helping him out in the first place.

to tell the truth you looked out for your self which has to be done but what might have benn a good ideas is to take a few more people along so the grand mother feels safer some people really don't think about what they say or do and allot of those people are old people she just closed minded don't stop talking to him just talk to him in the open i guess . all boy who don't have a father and i mean all of them look for father figure and allot of the time they get let down