A US family have claimed their five-year-old son with autism has been labelled a "sex offender" by his school after he hugged another classmate.
Nathan, who attends East Ridge Elementary in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is said to have 'overstepped his boundaries' by hugging and kissing another child on the cheek while playing.
The child's guardian, Summery Putnam, claims she was called by Nathan's teacher earlier this month and was notified of the alleged "sexual activities", local news outlet News Channel 9 reports.
Putnam told the outlet that Nathan "doesn't know what he's doing wrong".
"I was sick to my stomach... don't you understand he's a five-year-old?" Putnam told ABC7.
Nathan's grandmother, Debi Amick, claims her grandchild has been labelled a "sexual predator" in a private Facebook post shared with the media outlet .
"What do you do when a five-year-old is being labelled a sexual predator and accused of sexual harassment by the school system? It was disclosed that it will go on his record for the rest of his life that he is a sex offender," Amick alleges in the post.
"This child is autistic, he comprehends and functions very [differently] than your typical five-year-old. What do you do?"
Amick claims the elementary school has dismissed an explanation for Nathan's behaviour, including his difficulties with social cues, by the child's own doctor.
East Ridge Elementary has denied the accusations, claiming the issue was not simply "a hug or kiss" with classmates. The school says the family has not shared the full context of the concerns, and Nathan was never labelled a "sexual predator".
"The family of the child is not sharing the full context of the concerns expressed to them by the school. The issue was not a hug or kiss that prompted contact with the family," Hamilton County Department of Education spokesman, Tim Hensley, told the Daily Mail.
Hensley says Nathan was not punished by the school, and they simply want to monitor his well-being "as he grows and learns with his classmates".
The spokesman says all school personnel are legally required to report issues of concern to the Department of Children's Services, who will then determine if the case is worth investigating.
What actually happened in the classroom cannot be released due to school district legislation.
"We would welcome the family approving the release for the district to provide the documentation of the issues discussed with them," Hensley continued.
Nathan is reportedly in special education services with a new teacher and new classmates.
