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

Earlier this week, the Blaze reported on 9-year-old Emanyea Lockett's suspension story. As you'll recall, the child was forced to stay home from school for three days after he called his female teacher "cute." Now, the principal who qualified these comments as "sexual harassment" has been forced to retire over the incident.

Following the suspension, school officials investigated and determined that Lockett hadn't done anything wrong (though officials had previously said that Lockett had also been guilty of calling other students inappropriate names -- something the boy has denied).

As a result, the principal of  Brookside Elementary School, Jerry Bostic, was given an hour to either quit or face termination. Following his forced retirement after a long, 44-year career, the former principal is speaking out.

"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," he said. "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."

“I made a mistake,” he continued. “I offered to apologize for my mistake, but I wasn’t given that opportunity.”

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According to Bostic, the local superintendent, Reeves McGlohon, was the one who gave him the ultimatum. He explains that McGlohon threatened to either fire him or drop him down to an assistant principal position. He went on to call the superintendent "heartless."

Chiquita Lockett, the boy’s mother, is relieved by the decision. Previously, she told WSOCTV.com that she was confused over the suspension. “It’s not like he went up to the woman and tried to grab her or touch her in a sexual way,” she said. “So why would he be suspended...?”

Responding to the news about Bostic, Lockett, who is said to be seeking a potential lawsuit against the school district, said, "This is something that everyone needed to see, just to see what's happening within our school systems."

(H/T: Fox News)