honestly who gives a fuck about school rules, ik the chemistry teacher is an actual sex predator but a teacher who can't understand that students are themselves human beings with their own circumstances- some of which necessitate work- is also a pretty shitty person. like i get that the author is going in the 'a hardass isn't necessarily a bad person' direction but someone who sticks to rules to the point of disregarding the humanity of the people who's safety and well being said rules are intended for is a bad person and a shitty teacher. i get that there are cultural components but callousness and overreach are callousness and overreach. imagine seeing a students grades suddenly drop, them working part time, them straight up saying that they've got a new family member to care for, and telling them that the sacrifices they make for that person are in any way immoral, like im not calling him a predator but its a shit human move. authority figures like him are what drive vulnerable people into the arms of "understanding" predators