Student, 9 Years Old, Suspended For Sexual Harassment, Calling Teacher 'Cute' (VIDEO)

Student, 9 Years Old, Suspended For Sexual Harassment, Calling Teacher 'Cute' (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post Laura Hibbard First Posted: 12/ 5/11 12:51 PM ET Updated: 12/ 5/11 12:53 PM ET

After a substitute teacher overheard 9-year-old Emanyea tell another student a teacher was 'cute,' school officials put him on two-day suspension for sexual harassment, WSOC TV reported.

The boy's mother, Chiquita Lockett, told the station she doesn't agree with the punishment.

"It's not like he went up to the woman and tried to grab her or touch her in a sexual way," Lockett told WSOC TV. "So why would he be suspended for two days?"

The school's code of conduct doesn't list sexual harassment, but does mention possession of any gun, rifle, pistol, firearm, prohibited substance or assault of a school employee as grounds for long-term suspension.

The incident comes after a 7-year-old Boston 1st-grader faces an investigation for sexual harassment after he allegedly struck another boy in the groin, the Boston Globe reported.

The boy's mother Tasha Lynch, however, says her child was simply defending himself, and that the boy he struck had choked him in a previous incident.

“I think my kid was right to fight back,’’ Lynch told the Globe. “He wasn’t doing anything except protecting himself.’’

Boston public schools spokesman Matthew Wilder told the publication that, although he could not give a comment, the school is carry out an investigation to see who, if anyone, should be punished.

Rainmaker wrote:What's with loads of kids getting suspended/sued/charged with sexual harassment over pettiness? Isn't this like the second or third report of something happening like this in so many weeks?

RobbieFTW wrote:Stuff like this makes home schooling seem like a better choice.

School Officials Offer Apology For Suspending Boy
9-Year-Old Calls Teacher 'Cute', Accused Of Sexual Harassment

POSTED: 5:10 am EST December 7, 2011
UPDATED: 5:53 am EST December 7, 2011



GASTONIA, N.C. -- The principal of a Gaston County school where a 9-year-old boy was suspended for sexual harassment has submitted his resignation.

School officials on Tuesday offered an apology to the boy and his mother after the boy was accused of calling a teacher "cute." A statement from the system said it was determined that the fourth grader at Brookside Elementary School didn't engage in sexual harassment.

Jerry Bostic told The Gaston Gazette that he made a mistake but added that he wasn't given a chance to apologize.

Superintendent Reeves McGlohon would only say that Bostic submitted his resignation. McGlohon had no further comment.

The school system said the suspension won't count against the student, and there will be additional instructional assistance provided to the student for the classroom time missed.

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