Teen suspended for hugging teacher

DULUTH, Ga. -- A high school senior will not graduate on time after he was suspended for a year for giving his teacher a hug deemed inappropriate.

Senior Sam McNair went to give his teacher a hug to "brighten her day" but now the embrace is jeopardizing his plans for college.

McNair has been suspended for a year for sexual harassment.

"I have five months left in my senior year. I don't see why they'd take that away from me," said McNair.

"The school system should do a very good job in communicating to both parents and students what the parameters are for appropriate contact between students and teachers. And to the extent that they have not done that, it certainly was an extreme punishment for the student," said Education Attorney Sharese Shields Ages.

A spokesperson for the school says a student's past discipline record affects the type of punishment they get and McNair has had previous suspensions but not for sexual harassment.