First-grader suspended for sex harassment

[KIISQueen]

BROCKTON, Mass. (AP) — A 6-year-old boy is getting a lesson on the meaning of sexual harassment long before he’ll be able to spell it.

The first-grader was suspended for three days for sexual harassment after he put two fingers inside a classmate’s waistband, school officials told his mother, Berthena Dorinvil. The boy told her he only touched the girl’s shirt after the girl touched him.

Experts say only in rare, troubling cases can children that young truly sexually harass one another.

“The connotation is you’re getting some kind of sexual gratification, or wanting sexual gratification, or are putting pressure on for some kind of sexual gratification, when a 6-year-old doesn’t have that capacity,” said E. Christopher Murray, a civil rights attorney who has handled school discipline cases.

Dr. Elizabeth Berger, a Philadelphia-area child psychiatrist, said this case seems to be an overzealous attempt to ensure students feel safe in school after years in which society was not attentive enough.

The boy’s mother called the Jan. 30 suspension from Downey Elementary School outrageous. She said she can’t even explain to her son what he did wrong because he’s too young to understand.

“He doesn’t know those things,” she told The Enterprise of Brockton. “He’s only 6 years old.”

Brockton school officials have not commented beyond a statement from Superintendent Basan Nembirkow that said sexual harassment charges are always investigated and officials are trained to deal with them.

The Brockton School Committee defines sexual harassment among students, in part, as “uninvited physical contact such as touching, hugging, patting or pinching.”

First-graders who repeatedly touch classmates need to be disciplined and taught what’s appropriate, said Nan Stein, a senior research scientist at the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College. But don’t call the apparent discipline problem “sexual harassment” because first-graders just don’t get it, she said.

There have been similar cases. In 1996, a New York second-grader was suspended for kissing a girl and ripping a button off her skirt — an idea the boy said he got from his favorite book “Corduroy,” about a bear with a missing button. Earlier that year, a Lexington, N.C., 6-year-old was separated from his class after kissing a classmate on the cheek.

[Grimm]

Why do people have to be so sick as to attribute sexual behavior to 6 year olds? They are not sexual beings.
I think that what should be looked into as why some teachers and administrators think of 6 year olds as sexual beings... :eek:

[theorangeone]

Why do people have to be so sick as to attribute sexual behavior to 6 year olds? They are not sexual beings.
I think that what should be looked into as why some teachers and administrators think of 6 year olds as sexual beings... :eek:

From what I understand, it's from more of a no tolerance stand point. Within the school system, you stick your hand down someone's pants, you get suspended. It's not like anyone is pressing charges. I think this was made into a way bigger deal then it should've been. But then, what "news worthy" item isn't these days?

[DarkFury]

So much for the "atomic wedgies" in grade school I suppose.... :hmm:

[ArkiStan]

I wouldn't be surprised if that boy ends up having trouble engaging in normal relationships with the opposite sex as he grows up.

[ialsohaveadream]

I wouldn't be surprised if that boy ends up having trouble engaging in normal relationships with the opposite sex as he grows up.
Why, because he'd be dating women? I agree.

[InfiniteNothing]

Bad experiences like this at that age can really mess someone up.

[gear02]

I was talking to someone who said that his wife, an elementary school counselor, had to deal with 2 3rd grade girls who were having sex with each other.

Yeah, it's getting younger and younger...

[Nija]

I just don't understand the outrage. In an outfit like that, she was askin' for it...

[welfareloser]

as always, not enough info in the story.

children *ARE* sexual beings. most of us like to pretend they're not, but they are. not in the same capacity as an adult, but they do have sexual feelings to varying extents.

some children really are capable of sexual harrassment... ever met a 6-year-old boy who's been abused, neglected, and has a stepfather with a huge, not-locked-up porn collection? i know one... he got kicked out of school for trying to lift one too many skirts and shirts, and cornering a girl trying to french-kiss her.

so, yeah... probably ridiculous, but the kid could have a genuine problem. :shrug:

[MikeD]

Why, because he'd be dating women? I agree.

:heh:

You're right, probably can't be avoided. ;)

[welfareloser]

From what I understand, it's from more of a no tolerance stand point. Within the school system, you stick your hand down someone's pants, you get suspended. It's not like anyone is pressing charges. I think this was made into a way bigger deal then it should've been. But then, what "news worthy" item isn't these days?

HEYYY! lookit you! you're back!!! welcome back!!! :D where'd you go for so long? :hmm:

[InfiniteNothing]

I was talking to someone who said that his wife, an elementary school counselor, had to deal with 2 3rd grade girls who were having sex with each other.

Yeah, it's getting younger and younger...

Sounds like normal sex play. :shrug:

[welfareloser]

Sounds like normal sex play. :shrug:

yeah... i never did anything sexual with anyone else as a child, but i'd estimate that about 20% of kids do... this just a rough guess from the number of friends who told me about having done something or other before the age of 10 (and assuming that there are at least a few more that haven't fessed up ;) )

[smeakim]

RIDICULOUS! They could have brought his mother in and spoken to them both, but suspending him is insane. This is like that kid who got suspended a year or so ago for brining a crayon drawing of a gun to school. STUPID! STUPID! STUIPD! No tolerance policies have a purpose, but when common sense is disregarded, its just plain STUPID. Bullies are allowed to harass kids in school and nothing is done, but someone who is 6 gets suspended for doing something like this. I hope they sue the crap out of the school for punitive damages. The teacher IMO can be fired as well. I don't need a teacher who overreacted like this to teach my kids.

[welfareloser]

well... yeah... but...

you just don't know what else was going on. did he have the little girl cornered and terrified? was he trying to do a lot more, and got stopped just in time? were there prior offenses?

my best guess is that it's an overreaction, but... :shrug: another good example of how the news media SUCK.

[gear02]

yeah... i never did anything sexual with anyone else as a child, but i'd estimate that about 20% of kids do... this just a rough guess from the number of friends who told me about having done something or other before the age of 10 (and assuming that there are at least a few more that haven't fessed up ;) )

damn...i didn't know this was common...

[nickel]

Boy accused of sex harassment gets apology

Saturday, February 11, 2006; Posted: 9:07 a.m. EST (14:07 GMT)

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/EDUCATION/02/11/sex.harrass.ap/vert.dorinvil.ap.jpg
Berthena Dorinvil says her son's suspension was outrageous.
Massachusetts (AP) -- A 6-year-old boy who was suspended after being accused of sexually harassing a classmate transferred to a new school Friday after officials apologized to his parents.

Officials at Downey Elementary School apologized at a meeting Thursday, said the boy's mother, Berthena Dorinvil.

"They said they learned a lesson, and they said they will go over the rules to change things," she said.

The boy was suspended Jan. 30 for three days after school officials said he put his fingers under a female student's waistband.

Dorinvil had called the suspension outrageous and said she couldn't even explain the accusation to her son because of his age.

Brockton schools define sexual harassment among students, in part, as "uninvited physical contact such as touching, hugging, patting or pinching."

School officials had refused to transfer the boy, so the parents enlisted the help of an educational advocate.

"I'm pleased that a resolution was arrived at mutually," Superintendent Basan N. Nembirkow.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/02/11/sex.harrass.ap/index.html

[InfiniteNothing]

damn...i didn't know this was common...
I didn't know it was that uncommon.:heh: Where's Kinsey when we need him.


well... yeah... but...

you just don't know what else was going on. did he have the little girl cornered and terrified? was he trying to do a lot more, and got stopped just in time? were there prior offenses?

my best guess is that it's an overreaction, but... :shrug: another good example of how the news media SUCK.
Yeah, too hard to judge in either direction without additional info.