Text 3240, 79 rader
Skriven 2006-12-21 08:37:32 av John Massey (1:123/789.0)
Ärende: Government Schools
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With government employees like this, is there any wonder why government
schools can't educate Americas kids?



The Herald-Mail ONLINE
http://www.herald-mail.com/
Wednesday December 20, 2006
School accuses 5-year-old of sex harassment

by ERIN CUNNINGHAM
erinc@herald-mail.com

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.

CopyrightThe Herald-Mail ONLINE

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