My Two Cents: 9-Year-Old Suspended For Sexual Harassment

I know it's not easy being a teacher or principal these days, I think it's harder than ever.

So much of the time they're getting no support from the parents, and they're trying control classroom behavior most of us older than 40 can't even imagine.

Maybe it's all that, that drove a principal to pass a completely irrational judgement on a 9-year-old boy.

The boy was overheard making a comment about a teacher to another student. What he said is of some dispute, but it really doesn't matter.

The boy says he told his friend the teacher was "cute." The school said he used the word "fine" in describing the teacher.

The principal, in his 44th year with the Gaston County North Carolina School district suspended the 4th grader for sexual harassment. That, to me, sounds like a principal who's been there too long.

Finally sounded like that to the school district too, they lifted the suspension and forced the principal to retire last night.

I don't think a 9-year-old even knows what sexual harassment is, and couldn't one of the teachers or the principal have sat down with the student and just made it a teachable moment?