HAGERSTOWN - A kindergarten student was accused earlier this month of sexually harassing a classmate at Lincolnshire Elementary School, an accusation that will remain on his record until he moves to middle school.
Washington County Public Schools spokeswoman Carol Mowen said the definition of sexual harassment used by the school system is, "unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors and/or other inappropriate verbal, written or physical conduct of a sexual nature directed toward others."
Mowen said that definition comes from the Maryland State Department of Education.
According to a school document provided by the boy's father, the 5-year-old pinched a girl's buttocks on Dec. 8 in a hallway at the school south of Hagerstown.
Charles Vallance, the boy's father, said he was unable to explain to his son what he had done.
"He knows nothing about sex," Vallance said. "There's no way to explain what he's been written up for. He knows it as playing around. He doesn't know it as anything sexual at all."
The incident was described as "sexual harassment" on the school form.
School officials consider a student's age and the specific action when determining what administrative action to take, Mowen said.
Lincolnshire Principal Darlene Teach and Mowen said they were unable to discuss he incident involving the Lincolnshire student.
Teach said any student, regardless of grade level, can be cited for sexual harassment.
"Anytime a student touches another student inappropriately, it could be sexual harassment," Teach said.
School administrators at a Texas school in November suspended a 4-year-old student for inappropriately touching a teacher's aide after the prekindergarten student hugged the woman.
"It's important to understand a child may not realize that what he or she is doing may be considered sexual harassment, but if it fits under the definition, then it is, under the state's guidelines," Mowen said. "If someone has been told this person does not want this type of touching, it doesn't matter if it's at work or at school, that's sexual harassment."
The incident will be included in the boy's file while he remains at Lincolnshire, but Mowen said those files do not follow students when they move on to middle school.
She described the incident as a "learning opportunity."
During the 2005-06 school year, 28 kindergarten students in Maryland were suspended for sex offenses, including sexual assault, sexual harassment and sexual activity, according to state data. Fifteen of those suspensions were for sexual harassment.
During the 2005-06 school year, one Washington County prekindergarten student was suspended from school, and 12 of the county's kindergartners were suspended for various offenses, according to state data.
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Extremists are like slinkys... Ultimately useless in the grand scheme of things... But still brings a smile to the face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Thats ridiculous. Their own definition proves the accusation wrong. At 5, you do not think sexually, or if you do, its subconcious. You think almost the opposite. Therefore, his advance cannot have been sexual. Like his dad said, he just sees it as playing around.
Thats a joke.
Political correctness going too far again.
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Yeah... I heard about this on the news the other day. I'm sure it wasn't as if the boy was "groping" her. They are spending far too much time and energy on things like this when it should be put into the kids education.
Then again, when my daughter is 5 and a boy pinches her behind, I might think differently.
I remember that would just get the girls going "OHHHHHH I think he likes me. HEHEHEHEHEHE!!!" Not, "OHHHH I think I'm going to sue him!"
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The simple fact is that he is a over rated piece of **** that can't cover. He makes bad reads on routes and lacks the ability to recover when he is beaten.
For Madden people the best way to explain it is that he has a very low awareness.
My cousin is 5 and he cannot get his head around liking girls...He almost thinks they are a source of disease. Nothing in his mind thinks remotely in a way that could constitute sexual harassment...
Are 5 year olds getting charged with assault now too? Genuine question.
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David "The Hayemaker" Haye:21-1, 20 KOs
Undisputed World Cruiserweight Champion (WBA, WBC, WBO, The Ring Magazine Champion) World Heavyweight Title Fight: November 7
I don't think you have to worry Cash... I think your daughters classmates know that...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Disturbed
The simple fact is that he is a over rated piece of **** that can't cover. He makes bad reads on routes and lacks the ability to recover when he is beaten.
For Madden people the best way to explain it is that he has a very low awareness.
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