Parents Sound Off on Sexual Harassment at Cheyenne Junior High

Cheyenne Wyoming Tribune-Eagle ^ | 04-01-04 | Orr, Becky

[Theodore R.]

Sexual harassment has now come to junior high schools in a "conservative" state.

[bigcat00]

What those boys did was a crime, and it should be reported to the police, and they should be punished. The parents shouldn't rely on school officials to address the problem. A suspension is a good idea, but it does not go nearly far enough. A criminal complaint would be more effective, if law enforcement takes it serioiusly.

Interesting that after 30 years of feminism, sexual harassment in schools is probably at an all time high.

[ClearCase_guy]

Her father says it was sexual assault - even attempted rape - because the boys groped her breasts and made comments about their intent. But school administrators and the school resource officer said it stopped short of that behavior.

If the lines are fuzzy, boys will "innocently" misbehave -- and they will have defenders.

If the lines are clear, and the punishments harsh, boys will always be on their best behavior. For example: groping breasts? That's attempted rape. Welcome to maximum security for the next 5 years. Sorry to sacrifice you, but we figure no one will be stupid enough to follow in your footsteps for at least 5 years.

The goal shouldn't be: punish the perps.
It shouldn't be: defend the innocent victim.

The goal should be: rebuild a civilized society.

[basil]

somebody needs to take these boys out behind the wood shed and teach them right from wrong!

[tahiti]

"Sorry to sacrifice you, but we figure no one will be stupid enough to follow in your footsteps for at least 5 years."

If your statement was true, then rape should have disappeared years ago. Rape has had a prison sentence associated with it for many, many years, but obviously, can and will happen.

I think we have to look at also the young woman's behavior as well as her dress.

Belly buttons exposed; low hip hugger pants; super tight, tank tops; which is all design to say "look at me, don't I look sexually desirable."

No wonder young men, fresh in the transition from no sexual desire to rampant sexual desire, become confused from these signals and act upon them.

[jwalburg]

Conine said the school has addressed sexual harassment issues in the health curriculum, but maybe it hasn't done enough.

Uh huh. Values neutral health curriculum is supposed to take care of everything bad now. I'm sure showing parents the film will help, too. Problem? Show a film. Still trouble? Increase funding for "health curriculum." Sigh

[fml]

....and said it had to happen three times before it could be dealt with, the woman said.

Oh, puh-leeze.

[ladylib]

"One mother at the meeting said if a child feels like she was assaulted or sexually harassed, her daughter understood that it had to happen three times before she could report it.

"My daughter did go to the counselors' office and report an incident of a male grabbing her breast two times in the hall," the woman said.

The girl told the counselor, who then asked how many times it happened and said it had to happen three times before it could be dealt with, the woman said."

Huh? She ought to bring a suit.

I guess having cops in school is an ineffectual waste of money if they aren't going to do anything about complaints.

[vikk]

Yeah, it's the girl's fault. You are a jackass.

[MamaTexan]

Conine said he wants to educate the students, faculty and parents about the line between teasing to where it becomes assault.

Let's see..

teasing is verbal,

assault is physical.

How much more 'education' do you need?

On a side note- I was a victim of 'sexual harassment' in the workplace in my younger days.

But it only took one lesson for him to learn..."You grabba my butt, I breaka your face!" :)

[tom h]

"Interesting that after 30 years of feminism, sexual harassment in schools is probably at an all time high. "

Bigcat: it's not "interesting" but was totally predictable. Because while ordinary folks like you and me thought feminism was intended to only promote women's equality, the leftists who drove feminism down the throats of America also wanted to destroy Western civilization and American culture. This meant sexual excess and the undermining of traditional morals and our Christian heritage.

If you could get an liberal to talk about the tradeoff -- is it worth the higher rates of teen pregnancy and harrassment, as the logical price of a sexually free and libertine society, I think they would answer that the it's worth the cost. !! but also to tear down the

[Theodore R.]

Teasing may be verbal, but in today's liberal climate (even in conservative WY) teasing is probably a "hate crime" if not a potential "hate crime." I am not sure if WY has a "hate crimes" law, but didn't the former Republican Governor Geringer propose one? They should arrest the boys for "hate crimes" and give them a full dose of liberalism now so as to cure them of their errant ways in the future.

[Gritty]

When I was in Junior High, such a thing was never even considered. If anything, the guys avoided the girls. Sex was not a topic we discussed much, and when we did it was more from imagined ignorance than experience or action.

But then, that was over 45 years ago and we had never heard of sexual harassment, rape, or required sex education classes where the raunchiest details of sexual activity were discussed by the time we got to this age. The guys were more interested in playing baseball or hanging out with each other and who cared what the girls were up to? Whatever it was, it wasn't very interesting.

American morality and culture has slid a long, long way down hill in the intervening years. We (Liberals and secularists, actually) have managed to turn this age of fun and innocence into a neurotic, nasty playground where pre-adolescents imitate adults in rut!

[kjam22]

Yeah.... I agree with you. There are two sides to everything. Clearly the boys (and it's probably only a handful that are causing all the problems) need the butts whipped. And although it doesn't say so... I would guess that some parents need to do a little better job dressing their Junior High girls.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

A parent who did not give her name did not go into detail other than saying her daughter was sexually harassed. She said her daughter tried to report it three times without action. Her daughter finally beat up the boy.

That rules!

[shhrubbery!]

The girl told the counselor, who then asked how many times it happened and said it had to happen three times before it could be dealt with, the woman said."

I think the counselor is probably confused about sexual harassment law. Of course the girls should report any touching they think was inappropriate. One instance, however, does not make harassment.

For "sexual harassment" to exist, I believe there has to be more than one incident. For example, if you are touched by a co-worker once in a way that you take to be sexually suggestive --but he denies it-- then you do not have sexual harassment.

If, however, that co-worker keeps touching you, in a way that shows a pattern, then you may have a case for sexual harassment.

You may find this bad law, but I think that is the way it has to be. There are too many hypersensitive types out there who will scream "sexual harassment" even when the offending touch was just an accident, or not intended to be sexual.

[ladylib]

I believe that if a person touches another without their permission that's sexual assault (a criminal offense), not just harrassment.

[fml]

The article stated : "... a male grabbing her breast two times in the hall," ...

You think it might be just a hypersensitive type to have a problem with this?

Co-workers are a different animal than students, and following your logic school policy makes an assult have to become harassment in order to take action - totally ridiculous

[shhrubbery!]

fml: Of course not it is not hypersensitive. Read my post again. I am not defending boys grabbing girls breasts. And I am not talking about something you call "my logic" -- I'm talking about the law.

The school's counselor, if she really said "it had to happen three times before it could be dealt with," is wrong. Obviously the school should "deal with" the situation the first time.

What I'm saying is, the law says one touch does not equal sexual harassment.

ladylib, one touch might equal sexual assault. Or, it might not. If your husband lightly brushed a female co-worker on the breast, accidentally, do you think he should be charged with sexual assault?

[ladylib]

No, but he better apologize profusely to the woman because she just might.