Six-Year-Old Harassers?

Will, George F., Newsweek

Granted, G.F., as the Supreme Court calls him, was even more vulgar than many fifth-grade boys occasionally are. His sexual misbehavior, which continued for five months and eventually required him to plead guilty to sexual battery against his classmate LaShonda, was directed at others as well. It included, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote last week, verbal affronts ("I want to feel your boobs"), groping and other crudities ("G.F. purportedly placed a doorstop in his pants and proceeded to act in a sexually suggestive manner").

But did a Georgia school's allegedly inadequate response to G.F. on LaShonda's behalf give her the right to sue the school district for violation of a 1972 federal law? The law says that no person "shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under" any education program receiving federal funds.

In a 5-4 ruling, the court …

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Publication information: Article title: Six-Year-Old Harassers?. Contributors: Will, George F. - Author. Magazine title: Newsweek. Volume: 133. Issue: 23 Publication date: June 7, 1999. Page number: 88. © 2009 Newsweek, Inc. All rights reserved. Any reuse, distribution or alteration without express written permission of Newsweek is prohibited. For permission: www.newsweek.com. COPYRIGHT 1999 Gale Group.

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