It is important to get backing from higher authority in the education arena.  Whenever you know that administration will back you, you feel more at ease.  As long as you do what is ethical and you enforce rules, policies, and procedures, I am sure you will get the appropriate backing from administration.  As the Director of Education, I always support my instructors in front of students.  If an instructor does something that is inappropriate, I never address the instructor in front of the student.  I get with the instructor privately to tell the instructor how the situation should have been handled in fairness to the student and for future reference this is how it should be handled.  I always make sure things are done fairly when it comes to the students.  We should always do what's fair to the student.  If a student is wrong then the student is to be reprimanded accordingly.