SK> -> *4   NAME CALLING OR HARASSMENT:  JURY RULES IN SOUTH KORTRIGHT   
SK> Eve
SK> -> Bruneau, a student who filed suit against South
SK> -> Kortright Central School District for allegedly allowing male
SK> -> students to harass her and other girls, lost her case (news
SK> -> services/WASH POST, 11/22).  A federal jury yesterday rejected
SK> -> her claim, saying that "it was unreasonable to look at adolescent
SK> -> name-calling with adult expectations," writes the paper.
SK> 
SK> Does anyone else think this was a step backward? Students (boys) 
SK> called
SK> the girls names like "dog-faced bitch" and grabbed at their breasts. 
SK> I
SK> think 11- and 12- year old boys ought to realize that this isn't
SK> appropriate behavior. Why did they grab breasts as opposed to arms 
SK> and
SK> legs? I think it had something to do with sex in their minds.
    I think the jury was being _realistic_.
    The jury undoubtably saw that sexual-harassment law was designed for 
harassment by _employers_ or those under their control, with a key factor 
that employers have near-plenary right to fire disobedient employees (and 
most all workers want to avoid being fired).  
    This factor is just missing with 12-year-old kids in school.  They have 
due-process rights on suspension, and many would like nothing better than to 
be "fired" by their school!  That puts the school in a position far different 
than AT&T.
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