8-year-old removed from school for sexual harrassment.

[buttmunch]

LORAIN -- Lorain school officials this week executed an ''emergency removal'' of an 8-year-old boy who they say sexually harassed a girl in gym class.


The boy's mother, Tammy Barth, said yesterday her son was playing in gym on Tuesday when a girl student said he and two other boys may have grabbed her buttocks.

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He was then questioned in an informal hearing by school officials and he admitted he had been passing love notes to the same girl.

The second-grader then asked to sign a notice of emergency removal form for sexual harassment without a parent present, Barth said. The boy printed his first name on the portion of the form asking for his signature.

School documents provided by Barth and the boy's father, Frank Johnson, did not give specifics on the incident but showed that the second-grader was removed from school on Tuesday for ''sexual harassment during gym.'' It also states the student ''admits to writing notes saying ÔI love you' and giving them to a student.''

''It's an embarrassment to me and it's an embarrassment to him because he doesn't understand what's going on,'' Barth said.

Lorain schools spokesman Dean Schnurr confirmed yesterday that a student was sent home on an ''emergency removal'' for inappropriate actions. Schnurr insisted that his removal was a minor, precautionary action.

''It's not a disciplinary action,'' Schnurr said yesterday, adding the allegation will not be placed in the student's permanent record. ''We don't want to put something in the permanent record of a youngster who may not understand what they did wrong.

''He admitted to what he was being accused of,'' Schnurr said, unable to give specifics but said they were ''inappropriate'' in nature.

However, the student's mother said the school assumed her son touched the girl because he had written her a love letter a few weeks ago.

''Apparently, they had to treat it as sexual harassment,'' Barth said, adding the girl has been friends with her son for a long time. ''And then he was given a day off of school because of passing notes that say ÔI love you.'''

Johnson said the incident was harmless and referring to it as sexual harassment is what was ''inappropriate.'''

''Little kids are going to do stupid things like that,'' he said of his son passing love letters.

The student was temporarily removed from school for a day, March 23, and instructed to come back to school on March 24 with a parent.

''It's our job to teach students at a young age that inappropriate behavior is unacceptable,'' Schnurr said. ''The student did something wrong, admitted he did something wrong and received the proper discipline.''

He added it is unfortunate that this discipline is not emphasized at the student's home.

The second-grader's parents are still wondering how to discipline their son because they are not sure of what he did wrong. Barth said being reprimanded for passing love notes to another student is not and should not be a disciplinary matter.

Johnson said his son has had a difficult time with the whole ordeal.

''He started crying and he thinks he did something wrong (by passing a love letter),'' Johnson said. ''He's a good kid and he's very, very shy. And now he's emotionally distraught.''

Barth and Johnson are planning to remove their two children from Frank Jacinto, and the Lorain School system altogether, sometime next week and enroll them in the Clearview Schools District. She said she and Johnson are also looking into taking civil action against the school.

All four of her children are honor roll students, she said, adding that any school system would be happy to take them.

''I want them out of there before (the school system) does some damage.

http://www.morningjournal.com/site/n...id=46371&rfi=6

Another stupid school. My son used to get love notes from a girl all the time when he was five. Another girl used to wrestle him to the ground in the playground and hug him. I think all adults thought it was hilarious and normal. What the fuck is going on in schools that they don't see normal kid behavior for what it is?

[A*O]

This NOTHING compared to what goes on in some elementary schools. My cousin is an elementary principal at an inner city school here and she regularly has 5-6yr olds 'acting' explicit sexual activity. One particular kid used to bring in his dad's porno mags. Cousin calls in child protection/social services - outraged kid's parents turn up at school screaming blue murder (literally) - kid is removed from home and parents then start stalking and harrassing cousin with personal threats so the Police get involved - Police are reluctant to do anything....... the joy of educating young minds.

[Laurent]

I feel sorry for the 8 year old. It sounds kinda like the mom is telling her kid he got suspended for love notes, when the school actually suspended him for goosing some girl during gym. Love notes that say "I love you" are harmless enough, but I do think the mom should teach him that you can't touch another person's ass.

[buttmunch]

Sure you can't touch another person's ass but remove the kid from school for it? How about a simple reprimand? This overreacting to what is essentially normal, exploratory behavior is what gets me.

[A*O]

Of course we need to protect kids from abuse in all its forms, but I think the hysteria and paranoia about what is actually perfectly 'normal' behaviour in young kids who have not learned about appropriate behaviour or boundaries is totally fucking ridiculous. People scream 'pedophile' at almost any adult/child interaction these days and despite the horror stories it's mostly perfectly innocent. Good example. My husband was wandering around at the local shopping mall last week. He is on my special Day Release Program. There was a distressed kid aged around 6-7 sitting on a bench, obviously lost or separated from the parent. My husband's first instinct, as a father and human being, wanted to go over and offer reassurance and try to help. But he held back because he didn't want to pose a "Stranger Danger" to the kid, or be sued by some sicko for 'molesting' their child. So he called the mall security people and a female officer came and took over. He did the right thing, but isn't it sad that people with genuinely good intentions feel they have to back off in case things backfire on them?? If my kid was lost and distressed in a strange place I would be very thankful that someone actually bothered to care.

[buttmunch]

I know exactly what you're saying, A*O. The milk of human kindness has dried up because people are so paranoid. It really sucks that the world has become so distrustful that you can't even help a kid. A teacher at my kids daycare once told me that they were told not to hug the kids because it upset some of the parents. I told her how stupid I thought that was and she actually got offended.

[marvel]

Oh dear God. Well I'm in trouble. My six year old son is infatuated with butts and runs around slapping and shaking his butt. Sometimes he tries to slap our butts so God forbid he do it to someone at school. He hasn't yet but if he did something like that he would not mean it in a sexual harrassment kind of way. I don't know what to do but he loves his butt. Maybe he'll grow up to be a butt man. Thanks guys, now I'm scared. What the hell do I say to him?

[bella]

I think that is a huge over-reaction. It's pretty much just kids being kids. It reminds me of when I was working in a creche in a leisure complex, and in the organised childcare next door, two little boys (aged 9) were caught using their cameras phones to take pictures of each other willies in the toilets!

[buttmunch]

Oh dear God. Well I'm in trouble. My six year old son is infatuated with butts and runs around slapping and shaking his butt. Sometimes he tries to slap our butts so God forbid he do it to someone at school. He hasn't yet but if he did something like that he would not mean it in a sexual harrassment kind of way. I don't know what to do but he loves his butt. Maybe he'll grow up to be a butt man. Thanks guys, now I'm scared. What the hell do I say to him?

Well, at least you don't have one who not only likes to whip his penis out and show people, he also has an extremely healthy interest in women's breasts. Likes to look, likes to touch. I refuse to get excited about this. I simply tell him to put his dick away (not quite so blatantly, of course) and save it for private times with himself. As far as the boob obsession, I tell him that those are people's private bits and he should respect that. He's four so thinks I'm crazy for keeping him away from the gloriousness that is boobs, but eventually it'll sink in.

[bella]

Aww bless he sounds like a real little cutie. I know a boy who is just like that about boobs.