But none of those things are sexual harassment.
SEXUAL harassment????
Calling other children names?
I'm not saying this child should not get in trouble for calling kids names.
But pinning sexual harassment on a child this young is ridiculous IMO.
The punishment should fit the behavior.
IMO
Well, let's just say that the guy working the next desk over from you says "hey, you are cute. C- U- T- E". You're uncomfortable with that. Your boss discreetly asks him to stop saying that. He not only keeps it up, he starts telling everyone ELSE in your office that you are C U T E. You are getting major creeped out at his lack of sensitivity. He is, again, asked to stop, this time in no uncertain terms. Being oppositional, as in "no ones gonna tell ME what I can and cannot say", he keeps it up. In fact, he also defiantly begins to stalk you when you cross the parking lot to your car every day. You are now MAJOR concerned at his OBVIOUS lack of boundaries But of course, HE says you are just paranoid, over reacting. You know the truth, but gee, come on, he "only" said you are CUTE (well, over and over, inappropriately, and continuing after being asked to stop). What does your boss do now? Tell you to just get over yourself, you should feel "flattered", decide since his employee simply WON'T comply with the request to stop this behavior that the easiest out is to make YOU the bad guy? Embarrassed at the daily inappropriate behavior, the coworker's jokes about it, the distraction from your work, the disrespect undermining your ability to be taken seriously, and outright fear from the bizarre fixation, AND the realization that NOTHING is going to change this man's behavior toward you, you decide to do......what? I'm really curious. Quit?
Home and school is where children learn how to live in this world when mommy and daddy are not there anymore to "run interference" for them. The school environment is a living laboratory for the work environment many of these kids will be working in down the road in not so many years. If this kid is a fifth grader, he could BE your "no appropriate boundaries" office worker in 7 years. He could be the mail room guy, the tech support guy, the copier service technician, telling you how CUTE you are whenever you walk by, and then telling all your coworkers. After all, when he was younger, NO ONE taught him this was INAPPROPRIATE in certain conditions. No one impressed on him that there are BOUNDARIES to be respected when it comes to other people.
I say if he wants to call the neighborhood girls cute, it's his parents and the girls' parents business. If it's ok with you if he comes to your house uninvited, calls your daughter cute, tells your daughter's friends she is cute, and your daughter is distressed by that, but you feel you shouldnt ask him to stop, then I am fine with it. But the schools need to help children learn what is expected of them in the real world, and I highly suspect this was NOT a one time, first time event for this boy. The school's action was not meant to be harsh, it was meant to help him function successfully in life.