When my eldest daughter was in 4th grade she got into a fight (well more like she got in the way of) this little gang of girls that was picking on her best friend. She just stepped between them and didn't touch any of them and they started wailing on her. Stupid fucking principle told me there wasn't much she could do but suspend everyone for a day because if she did worse the kids would have to go to their homes which were inner city hell holes.
I told her with my daughter present that she could do what she wanted but i would take my daughter to the movies, stuff her full of ice cream and buy her a new video game on that day.