AITJ for setting up a fake online meetup to confront my daughters classmate who STOLE her jacket?
I (38F) have a 14year old daughter. She spent months saving her allowance to buy this specific, trendy jacket she really wanted. She was so proud of it.
Theres this girl in her class who is always making snarky comments about my daughter. This classmate actually told my daughter she wanted the jacket, but her parents wouldn’t buy it for her.
Last week, my daughters jacket went missing from her locker during PE class. She came home crying. The classmate told the teacher she saw my daughter leave the jacket at the park, which was a total lie. The school said they couldnt do anything without proof.
Two days later, i was scrolling on facebook marketplace. I saw the exact same jacket listed for sale in our local town group. The seller? The classmates mom. i knew 100% it was my daughters bcoz i had sewn a tiny, hidden custom patch on the inside pocket and theres a embroidered personalize name of my daughter.
Instead of calling the school, i used my sisters facebook account to message the mom. I said i wanted to buy the jacket for her asking price in cash, and we agreed to meet at a busy local coffee shop.
When the mom showed up, she actually had her daughter (the classmate) with her. I walked right up to their table. I didnt scream, but i spoke loud enough for the people around us to hear. I said, wow, thanks so much for finding my daughters stolen jacket. I’ll be taking that back now.
The classmate immediately started crying. Her mom turned bright red and started yelling that i was harassing them and that i was crazy. I calmly opened the jacket, showed the hidden patch to the barista and a few people watching, grabbed the jacket, and walked out.
Now the classmates mom is threatening to call the police on me for theft. The school counselor called me saying i traumatized the girl by publicly embarrassing her and that i should have handled it privately through the school. My husband thinks i went a little overboard and should have just told the principal. Am I the jerk?
TL;DR: My daughters classmate stole her expensive jacket, and the classmates mom tried to sell it online. I set up a fake buyer meetup, confronted them in public, and took it back. Now the school and the mom say i traumatized the kid.
