Update on "you can't say 'cute' in school"

I'm going to combine a couple of reports here, so we can see the prices of overreaction.

North Carolina Principal Forced to Retire After Suspending 9-Year-Old for Calling Teacher 'Cute'

GASTONIA, N.C. – The North Carolina school principal who suspended a 9-year-old boy for saying a female teacher was "cute" has been forced to retire over the decision.

Emanyea Lockett was given a three-day suspension from Gaston's Brookside Elementary School after he told another student his teacher was "cute" and a substitute teacher overheard the comment, the Gaston Gazette reported.

School officials investigated the incident and found that Emanyea had done nothing wrong. The school board then gave principal Jerry Bostic one hour to stand down or face termination.

Bostic spoke out after his 44-year career came to an abrupt end Tuesday, saying, "I didn't show a history of making problems like that. I've had the best of evaluations my entire career and because of some syndicated columnist in New York or California, I don't have a job."
Superintendent Reeves McGlohon would only say that Bostic submitted his resignation. McGlohon had no further comment.
 The school system said the suspension won't count against the student, and there will be additional instructional assistance provided to the student for the classroom time missed.
Of school superintendent Reeves McGlohon -- who gave him the quit-or-be-fired ultimatum -- Bostic said, "He told me he had made the decision he was going to terminate me or drop me into an assistant principal position.

"I admit I made some errors in what I did, but to fire me or to demote me with 44 years in it, it just doesn't make sense. To me he was a very heartless man, and he did it because of politics."

Emanyea's mother, Chiquita Lockett, said, "This is something that everyone needed to see, just to see what's happening within our school systems."

She was likely to pursue legal action, WSOC-TV reported.

The superintendent told Bostic that 15 parents from the school called his office asking for Bostic’s termination. Bostic said Brookside has more than 1,200 parents. His average evaluation from parents and the community over the past 10 years has been a 98 and 99 percent rating, he said.
“I just don’t see why he’d be so upset over the 15,” Bostic said. “He only gave me one hour to make a decision or he was going to terminate me.”
Bostic said he didn’t have time to ascertain what would be the best decision, financially, for himself and his family. Nor did he have time to give his staff proper notification that he would be leaving. Bostic said he could understand being written up for his mistake and having someone follow up with him over the school year.
“To me it’s a really sad final note to a career that I have found very satisfying and enjoy working with kids,” Bostic said. “I really don’t believe I was treated fairly.”
More than 600 children will be affected by the decision and around 1,200 parents and guardians will have to explain to their children why their principal was removed from a school after 15 years.
“I made a mistake,” Bostic said. “I offered to apologize for my mistake, but I wasn’t given that opportunity."
 Chiquita Lockett received a letter from the school explaining that her son was suspended for sexual harassment when he said a teacher was “fine” in a suggestive tone and had been warned about calling other students bad names.
Emanyea, 9, was suspended for three days after a substitute teacher overheard him tell another student a teacher was cute, said mother Chiquita Lockett. Emanyea served a one-day, in-school suspension and two days out of school, she said.



Okay, let's break this down.  Who was this "substitute teacher" who couldn't mind his/her own business and reported it?  Jealous?  Trying to get an "in" with administration at the cost of one little boy?.  Was it racial? And it was OVERHEARD in a conversation between the boy and another student? We don't know, but I'm of the opinion that if the board felt the principal had to walk the plank, perhaps someone else should have been down there testing the water for him.

Next, the syndicated columnist in NY or CA didn't cost you your job, Bostic- YOU DID.  Whether or not your firing was an appropriate response may be debatable, but your attitude here is contemptible.  I wonder what else you have done to get the quick trigger here.
The student doesn't have to pay for the principal's stupidity.  Great job here.

"A very heartless man,"  says Bostic of his boss.  The guy that suspended a 9-year old for calling a teacher "cute" calls the man who fired him for it "heartless."  Does anyone else sense the working of karma here?

I'd like to say, this seems like overreaction to media pressure on the part of the superintendent.  Bostic was given a VERY limited time to fall on his sword.  Would like to, but can't.  Bostic comes across as a PC-tied, self-concerned blowhard who very likely brought this on himself.  And 15 parents complaining did this?  Obviously it was the RIGHT fifteen.

And, little boy's mom?  It looks like you have a little talking to do to your little man.  I've heard that this may have been his fifth "incident", including some racial epithets directed at other students.  But guess what?  That great administrator, Bostic, didn't have them documented and never bothered to inform you.  Shame on him.  And shame on you if you don't do a little "investigating" of your own.

Bostic told mom something along the lines of, "Maybe you can do this in YOUR culture..."  I have a feeling the superintendent is trying to keep a lid on a LARGE can of worms here...