NAPLES, Fla. -- The assistant principal of an elementary school here called in the sheriff to report a "possible sex crime" after two students shared a kiss.
Deputies were dispatched Wednesday to Orange River Elementary School after Assistant Principal Margaret Ann Haring telephoned her concern.
Haring told deputies she had two students, both under 12, who kissed while in physical education class. Haring said one of them was debating about who liked who more.
The student then went over and kissed the other. The smooch was witnessed by a teacher.
"This incident is more of a simple assault, though by definition there would have to be a victim," Sgt. Stephanie Eller said.
Haring first called the abuse hotline of the Florida Department of Children and Families who told her to contact the Sheriff's Office.
When there is "suspicion to the level of concern, school employees are required to call DCF," Lee County Public Schools spokesman Joe Donzelli said.
Under Florida law, school district employees are required to call DCF if they suspect abuse, Donzelli said.
"As a teacher, they obviously felt that this was something they wanted to report and we encourage that," said Terri Durdaller, spokeswoman for the Sun Coast Region of the DCF.
But, Durdaller added, "This call came into the hotline and it did not fit our criteria."
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