6-year-old boy suspended from school for sexual harassment after quoting song

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

http://news.yahoo.com/6-old-boy-suspended-school-sexual-harassment-quoting-205325115.html

By The Associated Press | Associated Press – 9 hrs ago

AURORA, Colo. - A 6-year-old boy was suspended from his suburban Denver school for three days after school officials said he told a girl "I'm sexy and I know it," a line from a popular song.

D'Avonte Meadows, a first-grader at Sable Elementary School in Aurora, is accused of sexual harassment and disrupting other students, according to a letter the school district sent to his mother after he was sent home Wednesday.

School officials issued a statement saying they couldn't discuss the case, but they pointed out a school board policy that defines sexual harassment as any unwelcome sexual advance. There is no age limit.

The Aurora Police Department said it was not involved in the case because laws only cover children ages 10 and older.

D'Avonte's mother, Stephanie Meadows, said her son doesn't know the meaning of sexual harassment and it's the second time he has gotten in trouble for quoting "Sexy and I Know It." The song by the duo LMFAO was at the top of Billboard's Hot 100 chart for two weeks in January.

"I'm just, I'm floored," Stephanie Meadows told KMGH-TV (http://bit.ly/KaXY7f ). "They're going to look at him like he's a pervert. And it's like, that's not fair to him."

The Associated Press could not locate the Meadows family for comment.

Aurora Public Schools issued a statement Thursday saying it is trying to provide an equal learning environment for all students.

"We have policies and protocol in place to prevent any disruption to the learning environment. Due to privacy laws, we are unable to discuss appropriate disciplinary consequences about a specific student," wrote spokeswoman Paula Hans.

Denver attorney Craig Silverman said elementary school students have the same rights to free speech as adults as long as they understand and follow the rules. He said school policies should allow for exceptions.

"Sometimes when you go to a zero-tolerance policy, you end up with a zero-sense policy," he said.

D'Avonte's suspension comes as the Colorado Legislature considers a measure that would eliminate zero-tolerance discipline policies related to violence and weapons that were enacted after the Columbine High School shootings.

It's a response to cases in which students have been punished for bringing fake guns or butter knives to school and doesn't address sexual harassment policies. However, Sen. Linda Newell, the bill's sponsor, said the measure would also direct school districts to consider alternative forms of discipline, such as remediation decided by a student's peers, in all kinds of discipline cases.

The bill has passed the state Senate and is awaiting action by the full House.

Lawmakers who worked on the measure say zero-tolerance policies have disrupted too many students' education for minor offences.

As examples, lawmakers have cited Colorado students who were referred to police for trying to break up a fight or having a replica gun on school grounds.

They also point to cases such as at least two in Florida in which girls, 10 and 11 years old at the time, were arrested for allegedly bringing a plastic butter knife and a small kitchen knife to school.

Under Colorado's Senate Bill 46, the only cause for mandatory expulsion would be bringing a real firearm to school.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

A few more years and he'll be banging his teacher.

[Jamie and Sveta 18]

A few more years and he'll be banging his teacher.

LMFAO...... I was thinking the EXACT same thing... 5th grade? Lol!

[Obama 2012 1,714]

This country and its getting offended at every other word is getting sickening...

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

This country and its getting offended at every other word is getting sickening...

Agreed. It's pretty pathetic when a six year old kid gets suspended for something like that.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Its not about offending people so mutch as I think schools are getting more bureaucratic everyday. Cases like these are about a drone following policy rather than using critical thinking to assess individual situations.

Edited May 5, 2012 by Sousuke

[Dakine10 5,452]

Under Colorado's Senate Bill 46, the only cause for mandatory expulsion would be bringing a real firearm to school.

The reason for that bill is because a high school student got suspended for leaving a wooden drill rifle in her car. It was a prop for her young marines drill team. In the eyes of the school district it was no different than if she had brought a real AK-47 with her. Ridiculous.

Its not about offending people so mutch as I think schools are getting more bureaucratic everyday. Cases like these are about a drone following policy rather than using critical thinking to assess individual situations.

Agreed. Zero tolerance policies have been overriding common sense ones.

[james&olya 1,121]

The reason for that bill is because a high school student got suspended for leaving a wooden drill rifle in her car. It was a prop for her young marines drill team. In the eyes of the school district it was no different than if she had brought a real AK-47 with her. Ridiculous.

Agreed. Zero tolerance policies have been overriding common sense ones.

Fake guns can also be dangerous but usually just for the person holding it. While they have often been used to rob people at 'gun'point, the tragedies occur when someone mistakes them for the real thing and, feeling threatened, opens fire themselves. You cannot bring fake weapons on airplanes for obvious reasons.

I have to wonder if the instances where these rules are applied in such ridiculous situations are not because the individuals responsible for the absurd enforcement might have their own agenda against any such rules being made in the first place!

Edited May 6, 2012 by james&olya

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

While one may question the intelligence of suspending a 6 year old, it is notable that the lyrics of the song, and of other songs of the genre themselves go unchallenged by women's organizations. Seems that Rush Limbaugh was much more severely brought to task for saying much less offensive things...need we mention Don Imus, Howard Stern, Bill O'Rielly, Sean Hannity?

Why do you suppose that is? What does one expect when it is deemed acceptable?

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I have to wonder if the instances where these rules are applied in such ridiculous situations are not because the individuals responsible for the absurd enforcement might have their own agenda against any such rules being made in the first place!

So what would be the agenda of someone making a big deal about the utterance of much less offensive language? Why is it a problem for Rush Limbaugh to say "#######" but not for a rapper to say "#######" "Ho" "ni**er", etc., and sell millions of records saying that, be played a million times on radio?

Why is that? Why are the same people that made sush a stink over Don Imus not making a stink over the lyrics of music played to far more people than Imus ever affected?

What is the agenda in that case?

[james&olya 1,121]

So what would be the agenda of someone making a big deal about the utterance of much less offensive language? Why is it a problem for Rush Limbaugh to say "#######" but not for a rapper to say "#######" "Ho" "ni**er", etc., and sell millions of records saying that, be played a million times on radio?

Why is that? Why are the same people that made sush a stink over Don Imus not making a stink over the lyrics of music played to far more people than Imus ever affected?

What is the agenda in that case?

I don't believe a double standard is there at all. If a rapper had a syndicated talk show where he had mainstream corporate advertisers I am sure those same standards would be there. In the world they operate and with the customers they attract it is part of their 'schtick' to be vulgar and offensive! Most 'normal' people just avoid being around it. Being verbally offensive is a person's right. It is also a person's right to express their outrage at such offensiveness and it is the right of businesses to recognize that they may have more to lose than to gain by being associated with such cr@p!

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I don't believe a double standard is there at all. If a rapper had a syndicated talk show where he had mainstream corporate advertisers I am sure those same standards would be there. In the world they operate and with the customers they attract it is part of their 'schtick' to be vulgar and offensive! Most 'normal' people just avoid being around it. Being verbally offensive is a person's right. It is also a person's right to express their outrage at such offensiveness and it is the right of businesses to recognize that they may have more to lose than to gain by being associated with such cr@p!

Sure. No double standard. Well, the 6 year old is the product of what we tolerate, what WE deem acceptable. Accepting such standards from segments of the population is only further oppressing them. Some people are Ok with that. I'm not.

I am not a person that would support government censorship, I think you know that, it is the responsibility of the people who become outraged over one small transgression in one medium to not accept it in another medium.

[james&olya 1,121]

Sure. No double standard. Well, the 6 year old is the product of what we tolerate, what WE deem acceptable. Accepting such standards from segments of the population is only further oppressing them. Some people are Ok with that. I'm not.

I am not a person that would support government censorship, I think you know that, it is the responsibility of the people who become outraged over one small transgression in one medium to not accept it in another medium.

That was not the 'double standard' I thought you were referring to. Comparing the situation of the 6 year-old to rappers using offensive language is like comparing apples and oranges. While they may be related issues, they are far from comparable for a number of reasons.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Trying to figure out how the lyrics of "I'm Sexy and I Know It" would cause outrage amongst feminists. I just asked the Hawt American for his opinion, and he asked me by way of reply, "Are there people on your forum who would die on that hill?"

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Trying to figure out how the lyrics of "I'm Sexy and I Know It" would cause outrage amongst feminists. I just asked the Hawt American for his opinion, and he asked me by way of reply, "Are there people on your forum who would die on that hill?"

We know you are not offended by abusive references to women. Big surprise.