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Mom Says Son Was Suspended for Calling Teacher “Cute”
Emanyea Lockett told a friend his teacher was cute and the principal suspended him.
This is absurd but apparently true.
A North Carolina mother says her son was suspended for calling a teacher “cute.”
As WSOCTV reports, Chiquita Lockett says the the principal of Brookside Elementary called her last week to say that a substitute teacher overheard him tell another student a teacher was cute. The principal allegedly called this a form of “sexual harassment.”
Emanyea was promptly suspended. His mother is understandably outraged.
“It’s not like he went up to the woman and tried to grab her or touch her in a sexual way,” Lockett said. “So why would he be suspended for two days?”
The principal, who a quick internet search shows is Jerry Bostic, refused to speak with a local reporter and a district spokeswoman wouldn’t go into detail with the reporter but did say Emanyea was suspended for “inappropriate behavior” after making “inappropriate statements.”
WSOCTV says the school district’s Code of Conduct doesn’t list “inappropriate behavior,” but says “disruption of school” is punishable by five days of out-of-school suspension.
Really? A 9-year-old? He doesn’t even know what “sexual harassment means,” for crying out loud!
Holy crap! Talk about absolutely ridiculous! I mean, if you want to get technical, the kid didn’t even tell the teacher she was cute, he told his friend. Is that how far we’re taking sexual harassment now? A growing boy can’t tell his friend his teacher is cute? The damage they’re doing to this poor kid by suspending him is heartbreaking to me. I’m not a litigious person but if they did that to my sweet boy who happened to be crushing on a substitute teacher I’d file a lawsuit for mental damages or whatever is the thing you do in that scenario.
That substitute is a real hard ass and Principal Jerry Bostic is an idiot for suspending the boy.
You can watch Emanyea tell his story here. He’s a real sweetheart.
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7 Comments
Little Frogs commented on Dec 05 11 at 11:39 amSo we have a child’s story to go by. The district can’t speak due to confidentiality.
I just don’t buy that all he said was a sub was cute.
Chammarra commented on Dec 06 11 at 11:03 amIf by chance all he did say was the sub is cute, I think suspension is the wrong course of action. however, I do feel that it would be important to talk to about harassment and how he should
Monitor himself depending on the situation And company. “she’s cute” is like the 9 year old version of a high school saying ,”she’s so fine man she can…” or “I would…” I had this same conversation with a couple high school boys last week who didnt understand why they had been called out by a sub for saying a girl outside had no butt. Kids need to be taught how to not ‘accidentally’ harass others and that can only happen by talking to them about it, not just by suspending them.
Sanriobaby =^.^= commented on Dec 06 11 at 2:10 pmOnce again, rules that were made to protect actual victims were used to punish someone w/o basic common sense. So now children who have crushes on their teachers are now considered sexual predators too? When is common sense gonna actually be applied to these types of situations? This child was not given a opportunity to be taught a valuable lesson but given a severe punishment instead. This situation could have been a teachable moment for not only that child, for for the entire class and it was wasted by a zero tollerance policy that frankly shouldn’t have been applied to this stiuation. What does this suspension actually teach this child, other than he can’t voice his honest thoughts w/o fear of getting in trouble? Wouldn’t this set up a future course of distrust of not only teachers, but of other adults in power too? Isn’t this exactly what we DON’T want to teach our kids? I hope this mom sues the school district, simply b/c thier punishment was not only uncalled for, but can cause harm to this child later on as well.
Canuckmom commented on Dec 06 11 at 3:36 pmIf calling someone cute is harassing them, then I have harassed my children, my friends’ children, my husband, shoes, and elderly couples who hold hands. Lock me up!
Manjari commented on Dec 08 11 at 11:06 amOf course you don’t buy it, Little Frogs. You’ve seen his picture.
Amy commented on Dec 11 11 at 7:25 pmthe article I read said he was calling the teacher “fine.”
But regardless, if you are working in an office and it is distracting for you to do your job because people are whispering behind their hands about your physical appearance and how sexually or physically attractive you may or may not be.
There is no way you would tolerate men standing around the water cooler discussing your fine behind.
This boy and his mother backpedal well. This should be a learning opportunity for how NOT to treat women, not for how to work a system to win.
Gaia Coleman commented on Dec 18 11 at 11:35 pmThere’s a teacher at my school whom I think is cute, shoes are cute, babies are ADORBS, and so many more. So now I’m a sex offender?! Kiss my big Indian pooper!
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