Put Down the Note and Step Away From the Girl

A second-grader in Lorain, Ohio, is subject to "emergency removal" from school for "sexual harassment during gym." The (permanent?) record of the incident notes that the boy "admits to writing notes saying 'I love you' and giving them to a student.'' He may also have touched her butt, although his mother says the school simply assumed he was guilty because of his paper trail.

[Thanks to Mark Lambert for the tip.]

Comments

[Jennifer]

Anybody who assumes sexual content in an 8-year-old's "I love you" note is a sick fucking pervert who should not be allowed around children.

[Todd Fletcher]

I thought I had become immune to outrage over each new story of public school insanity, but this story proved me wrong.

[Akira MacKenzie]

Oh come on! In first grade, a bunch of girls and boys (I among them) hid in the Jungle Gym and pretend to get married, complete with kissing. The recess lady broke it up and nothing more was said.

This kid probably doesn't even know what "sex" is.

[SR]

I went looking for Schnurr's e-mail address, but found this from the school's website:

http://www.lorainschools.org/info/faq.html

Can I e-Mail staff and board members from the website?

This feature is currently not available, but plans to implement this type of communications is underway.

[mitch]

This kid needs some education... saying "I love you" to a girl early in a relationship, like in the first decade or so, is always a mistake.

[Tonio]

But phone and fax numbers here.

http://www.lorainschools.org/info/contact.html

[Number 6]

The officious little prick of a principal had the nerve to take a swipe at the parents, too. When the revolution comes, public school administrators will be the first ones hung.

[scape]

Emergency removal? What, aren't 8-year old second graders mature enough for an emergency abstinence only program.

[scape]

Emergency removal? What, aren't 8-year old second graders mature enough for an emergency abstinence only program.

[Mrs. Lovejoy]

Just for once, I wish someone on this board would think of the goddamned children!

[John]

Anybody who assumes sexual content in an 8-year-old's "I love you" note is a sick fucking pervert who should not be allowed around children.

Well said Jennifer. Do you have to get a frontal labotomy before you can be a school administrator?

[linguist]

Man, I was born too soon. I sure wish these zero tolerance policies had been around when a boy asked me to marry him in kindergarten. He deserved to be punished!

[Isaac Bartram]

Well said Jennifer. Do you have to get a frontal labotomy before you can be a school administrator?

You know it's funny when I see the responses (letters to the editor etc) after these events I see outpourings of common sense from the "common folk". But things like this just keep happening.

Funny isn't it. This is the place where your children get properly socialized.

[Eric the .5b]

This is the place where your children get properly socialized.

Like Canada, where medicine goes to be socialized. 😉

[NCDan]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The most accessible and effective way to deter future misconduct of this sort by school officials is to sue them as individuals, in adition to suing them as agents of the school system. If their house and their cars and their income is placed at risk in cases like this, the school administrators will finally get the message that this sort of behavior on their part is unacceptable. Unfortunately, this tactic would require a sponsor for the plaintiff in order to pay the lawyers whether they win or lose. It's unlikely that any attorneys would accept this case on a contingency fee basis as recovery does not appear to be very likely.
Any non-profits out there willing to search for model cases and sponsor litigation against this sort of misconduct by "zero tolerance" administrators? It would be necessary to humiliate only a few administrators before word would get around that this sort of administrative behavior is both unacceptable and risky.

[Akira MacKenzie]

When someone reproduces, it seems that their intellect is usurped by their parental instincts and stupidity of this scale ensues. I'm sure that the girl's parents are traumatized that their little Jasmine was deflowered by this young rake, and threatened to sue the fillings out of the School District for not preventing it.

Thank goodness I never intend to spawn. I'm not going to allow some brat to turn me into a statist control freak who thinks that it's everyone's responsibility to help raise it.

[John DeWitt]

The most accessible and effective way to deter future misconduct of this sort by school officials is to sue them as individuals, in adition to suing them as agents of the school system. If their house and their cars and their income is placed at risk in cases like this, the school administrators will finally get the message that this sort of behavior on their part is unacceptable.

"But I vas yust followink oahdahs!

[Pirate Jo]

I used to send love notes to a little boy in first grade, saying, "I love you, do you love me? Circle yes or no." My first-grade teacher stood up and announced to the class that there would be "NO LOVING!" I still don't know whether to find that sad or funny.

[Eryk Boston]

Jennifer, speaking as a sick fucking pervert, I take great offense to being equated with these loons.

[linguist]

LOL, Pirate Jo!
Or, who remembers "Boys are blue, girls are pink. NO PURPLES!"

[Wild Pegasus]

In fairness to school administrators - who indeed are stupid - there are a lot of even stupider parents out there. And they have stupid, greedy lawyers.

- Josh

[Captain Holly]

My seven year-old daughter came home a few weeks ago and complained the boys were chasing her and playing kissing tag. I told her if she didn't like it to tell them to stop; she did, and they stopped doing it.

I'm not sure she's any happier, though.

[Native NYer]

Believe me, the wierdos who put these rules into place are twisted souls who do not have children.

The parents I know are more afraid of the state usurping their rights than the non breeders I know.

[Mark Lambert]

I thought I'd seen the ultimate in stupidity when I read once that a school administrator somewhere had suspended a menstrating-age girl for having ibuprofen with her at school because the school had a "zero tolerance on drugs!" policy. This latest tale ties, if not surpasses, that stupidity.

[Eric the .5b]

I used to send love notes to a little boy in first grade, saying, "I love you, do you love me? Circle yes or no." My first-grade teacher stood up and announced to the class that there would be "NO LOVING!" I still don't know whether to find that sad or funny.

Depends on the facial expression and tone. I had a few decent teachers who would have quite intentionally made that hilarious.

[tchiers]

When I was 8, I used to chase one girl in paticular around the playground during recess - all the while making kissing sounds. I suppose I should be grateful that I'm not in prison or on a sex offender list for that stunt...

[independent worm]

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The most accessible and effective way to deter future misconduct of this sort by school officials is to sue them as individuals, in adition to suing them as agents of the school system. If their house and their cars and their income is placed at risk in cases like this, the school administrators will finally get the message that this sort of behavior on their part is unacceptable.

Dan, since they are acting in their capacity as govt employees, they get whatever qualified immunity such employees are entitled to. There's no way around that. To sue them *is* to sue the school system. It's just that simple.

Just shotgunning their names into a Complaint doesn't cause them to actually have their property at risk. The school's lawyers still defend them, because they already know there's no basis for liability as individuals.

I've never actually litigated one of these, but I've done many similar cases against corporations, where a similar "individual/agent" duality applies to many of the people involved. In those cases, often the claims against the corporate directors as individuals get dismissed early on. I suspect the same is true in these situtations; the claims against the school officials, as individuals, would be dismissed early on for lack of facts showing why they shouldn't be treated as govt agents. The rest then properly proceeds as a case against the govt.

[Rhywun]

the school simply assumed he was guilty because of his paper trail

He's probably establishing the paper trail to ensure his adoption rights aren't ignored when the baby comes.

[Robert]

It bothers me that his father even referred to it as a stupid thing to do, when it's such a sweet thing to do.

[george]

When I was eight (fifty some years ago), a classmate of mine spent recess chasing a girl around to lift up her dress and look at her panties. I'm pretty sure he knew what to do if he ever got the chance. Don't assume NO sexual content. On the other hand, this DOES look like another over-reaction by zero tolerance.

[Pirate Jo]

Hey Robert, I think I want to date you. (However no butt-touching on the first date.)

[Tim Higgins]

SR,

"This feature is currently not available, but plans to implement this type of communications is underway."

Awesome. Two subject-verb disagreements in one sentence. I weep for the future.

[Mr. F. Le Mur]

This feature is currently not available, but plans to implement this type of communications is underway.

Those who can't teach pick on 8 year-olds.
(I found four other errors on that six sentence webpage. 100% pitiful.)

So, why don't they call it "gender harassment?"

When I was 8, I used to chase one girl in paticular around the playground during recess - all the while making kissing sounds.

Whilst in 2nd grade my daughter complained about boys doing that, and she asked if she should tell her teacher. I told her to kick 'em in the shins if they didn't knock it off. Problem solved.

[ChrisO]

Ah, but the problem is money, you see. If only we Fully Funded our schools, problems like this would go away.

Sometimes I get a little miffed that my wife doesn't want to be a breeder (especially the closer I get to 40), but then I see stories like this...

[Russ 2000]

I didn't RTFA. What madrassa was this in?