Kids dealt with harshly as schools grapple to enforce zero-tolerance policies
WASHINGTON - In his seven years, Randy Castro has been an aspiring soccer player, an accomplished Lego architect and a Royal Ranger at his Pentecostal church. He also, according to his elementary school record, sexually harassed a first-grade classmate.
During recess at his Woodbridge school one day in November, when he was 6, he said, he smacked the classmate's bottom. The girl told the teacher. The teacher took Randy to the principal, who told him such behavior was inappropriate. School officials wrote an incident report calling it "Sexual Touching Against Student, Offensive," which will remain on his student record permanently.
Then, as Randy sat in the principal's office, they called the police.
"I thought they were going to take me to prison," Randy said recently. "I was scared."
Prince William County school officials would not comment on Randy's case, citing student confidentiality. They said the call to police was the result of a misunderstanding.
Randy is only one of many children to be dealt with harshly as schools across the country grapple with enforcing new zero-tolerance sexual harassment policies and the fear of litigation.
The Virginia Department of Education reported that 255 elementary students were suspended last year for offensive sexual touching, or "improper physical contact against a student." In Maryland, 166 elementary school children were suspended last year for sexual harassment, including three preschoolers, 16 kindergartners and 22 first-graders, according to the State Department of Education. Statistics for the District were not available.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23928454/
1. "Sexual Touching Against Student, Offensive" is not the type of sentence I expect to come from anyone in authority of an educational institute. That's disgraceful.
2. For all the girls I played 'Doctors and Nurses' with as a kid, I should be registered as a sex offender by todays standards
3. Who the fuck is spearheading all this shit? Did someone put something in the tap water that just made everyone retarded?
MEanwhile...
Cops Bust Teens' Root Beer Kegger
Yep... everything's under control.
Thanks to J M HoFmArN for both articles
This post has been edited by barend: 03 April 2008 - 04:38 PM