In Aurora, Colorado, D’Avonte Meadows, 6-year-old boy at Sable Elementary School was suspended for sexual harassment and disrupting other students. How can a six-year-old boy sexually harass someone? He told a girl “I’m sexy and I know it,” a line from a popular song.
School officials insisted that they are only carrying out written policies and that sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome sexual advance and has no age limit.
The boy had previously gotten into trouble for quoting from the song by LMFAO “Sexy and I Know It.”
I have written a variety of columns (here, here) and blogs (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here) criticizing zero tolerance policies on drugs and guns where teachers and administrators who refuse to use a modicum of common sense in enforcement decisions.
Since this is the second time that the boy has been told to stop quoting from the song, I can understand a parent-teacher meeting or conversation, but suspension?
Notably, Colorado is considering repealing its zero tolerance law, which would return schools to the position of dealing with these issues informally and with a little judgment and discretion.
Below is the song, but be warned. If one line is enough to get you suspended, playing the whole song will likely lead to life in a super max prison in Colorado:
Source: CBS
Here is my 2 cents… There is a t.v. ad (o.k. I admit I may watch more than needed) that shows a female M&M candy ( brown) she has a brown shell, the color of milk chocolate. The green M&M thinks she (the brown M&M) is naked, so he unzips his shell like clothes and says, “Oh, it’s that kind of a party.” Then the song “I’m sexy and I know it” starts up. I am 99% sure this is where the little boy got the song from. It is a funny, colorful ad about candy. The male, green candy even dances while singing it. I just wanted to let people know that all children that watch t.v. at all may have seen the ad and it does not mean mom is not doing her job. I do not know. I could see how “any” child would have picked up the song. I believe it was very overblown. What child has not picked up a catchy tune by animated figures. He was just doing what the candy was doing. He should be told not to do the dance and sing those words, but I just wanted to paint a more clear picture that this is a ad he was seeing on t.v.. I hope he will not be seen as a little pervert. He is a little boy repeating what he thought was a funny, colorful ad. It would catch the eye of a child on many levels. Music, color, candy, dance. Yes he is Black, yes, he is special needs. All of this just to answer any of the questions I saw asked. No judgement to any response on here. I do believe he was just having fun with no ill intent. Maybe M&M’s candy should get a time out. The little guy was just being silly in the p.c. world he lives in that can send out many signals a six year old can’t understand.
Gary G. I like your progression. and I missed that this was a special needs child.
hm… ok then, bye
Theseus, those are bad things. So what? Most people have compassion, understanding, kindness, particulary to the children. I hope. He is six years old, for christ’s sake, and the litle girl is the same age. They should be friends, no matter. Now, we have a sexual offender and a sexual victim. Great. He missbehaved, twice (what a surprise for a six year old). So, someone in the school should have talked to him, firmly. They are trained to do that, aren’t they? But is a lot more easy just to suspend the child. Next time, what? He’ll be expelled from school? Problem solved. Seeing a danger in a six year old, is called paranoia.
I’m not even considering the fact he is a special needs student.
“Paranoia”? are you brain dead
Killer cops and shakin booties videos?
500 women suicides per day in China
millions murdered in African genocides
$ billions in American military aid wars for oil greed
“good old American common sense” like slavery and Viet Nam, Kent State
“so what, most people have compassion” are you out of your mind?
humans are destroying each other and compassionate life on earth.
unless and until humans have peaceful coexistence with the planet ……..
Slavery, genocide, crusades, inquisition? Well, when you invite those topics to this discussion, common sense is running away for real. Not dangerous, just silly.
Ronson, you brought up “good ole american common sense”, like invading
Afganistan as Alexander and the USSR were so inclined. Like good old American “commom” sense which spends $ billions per month supporting a military industrial complex forever reinventing human violence worldwide for
greed of energy and nationalistic ego. Bring all the troops home (from 150+ countries) and police American streets, produce alternative energy sources and spread the message of peace, rather than the perpetual ugly American
Sure, Stephen, by twelve he will be a serial killer… this world is getting dangerous, and I’m not talking about that little boy. Some of you folks wouldn’t hesitate to call social services to take that child from his mother. The old good american common sense is gone.
El correcto Fire Starter – That same ole american common sense that revitalized Roman african slavery to develop sugar, rum, tobacco and cotton for white Europe and destroyed all native “americans” who would not submit to those same “christian” ideals which brought the crusades, inquisition and
continued millions of deaths vs competing religious ideologies worldwide.
I’m with Gary and Aseneth. Too many (not necessarily here) want to hold children as or nearly as culpable as adults. That’s just ridiculous on the face of it! And I am completely against the wave of criminalizing children’s misbehaviors (or using legalese like “sexual harassment” when the child has no such understanding, let alone intent), saddling them with criminal records, and treating adults and children alike when actual crimes are committed.
Was this boy shaking his behind in front of another boy claiming to be sexy?
Be realistic, humans understand sexual attraction early on, and when their parents promote music videos advocating male demonstrativeness, what is one to expect? Are not little girls given dolls, lipstick and dresses in an effort to eventually attract their counterparts towards reproduction of the species?
Except the song in question isn’t hip hop. It’s really bad club music. And by really bad, I mean so poorly done that I begin to think samplers, sequencers and drum machines shouldn’t be sold to people unless they can prove they know how to use them artistically first. A Weird Al parody would be better than this stupid song. The song is so bad, if they aren’t a joke band, I feel really sorry for them.
Hip Hop is not proving to be a wonderfully thoughtful and sensitive guide to human interpersonal relationships, be you rule of law .. or woman of any age
Special needs student is correct …. he needs better parental guidance!
If his mother is promoting this type of music, lyrics and overt physical demonstrations toward women at age six, where will the boy be at twelve?
Thank you Gary Goldberg for pointing out what most people seem to be missing – D’Avonte is “Special Needs” student.
This punishment is extreme for any 6 year-old but add to that the we are discussing a 6 year old SPECIAL NEEDS student and you will realize that you are dealing with a student who genuinely doesn’t comprehend why this is wrong.
http://denver.cbslocal.com/video/7167021-6-year-old-kicked-out-of-school-for-singing-im-sexy-and-i-know-it/#.T6q5tzketKI.facebook
Additionally, the school documented that the boy “admitted to sexual harassment” when in actuality they later clarified that he admitted to sing the song and shaking his bottom when there was a female student in close proximity.
The underlying issue I see here is knowing how to appropriately discipline 6 year old students and more specifically special needs students to enforce the lesson without over doing it. All the kid understands right now is that the song being used for commercials and kids tv shows is a “bad” song and he shouldn’t sing it…he probably couldn’t tell you why its inappropriate and therefore will end up in trouble again for quoting another song eventually. Sigh.
A little perspective would be wonderful. The boy is six years old. The first time he does something inappropriate he gets warned. The second time he gets timed out. The third time he has a visit with the principal and a note is sent home. The fourth time he gets removed from the class for a period and detention, plus the parents have to come in. Maybe, when you get to the sixth or seventh time, you start thinking about a 1 day suspension. Plus — he’s a special needs student. We don’t know what that means in this case — could be anything from reading difficulties to autism to Tourette’s Syndrome. But all special needs students are offered patience. Why not here?