Are we losing our minds or are we living a Star Trek episode?

[lfeisee]

 "I like your shoes."  Does that sound like sexual harassment to you?  More importantly, would you tell a class full of 12 year olds that the aforementioned phrase can be considered by some as sexual harassment?  Please tell me I am missing something!  Either I'm nuts or everyone else is.  Everyone else can't be nuts, so it must be me.  Here's the story.  Over dinner two days ago, my son and I were exchanging stories about our day.  I told him the usual things.  I went to a meeting.  I went to another meeting.  I hosted a meeting.. etc... and he told me that he had a guest speaker in his science class.  The speaker was the guidance counselor who told them about sexual harassment.. and one example of what could be sexual harassment is telling someone your like their shoes.  My son said in his wise-beyond-his-years way " Well mom, I guess the 7th grade this year is going to be pretty anti-social."  I explained to my son that this was probably an exaggeration and the counselor had made a small mistake.  I explained what I believed to be sexual harassment.. the unwelcome sexual advances made by someone in a position of power which created an uncomfortable environment for the employee or the subordinate or as a condition of advancement.  I assured him that if he thought someone looked especially nice, he could still compliment them.  Then I decided to email the principle to find out whether things were taken out of context in class, or perhaps my son had misunderstood.  He is after all only 12.  A smart 12, but 12 nonetheless.  Well, the principle promptly returned my email and informed me that the guidance counselor would call me back.  Well, she called me today.  When I told her the story and asked her whether my son had misunderstood.  She said "Oh no, he understood perfectly".  Actually, my son did hear her, and in fact she congratulated me on the fact that my son was paying such close attention in school.  She proceeded to tell me that the law on sexual harassment in the US is essentially as follows.  Anything that can be construed as sexual in any way shape or form which makes an environment uncomfortable as perceived by someone can be considered sexual harassment and is therefore illegal.  So essentially, sexual harassment is in the eyes of the beholder.  If I feel the slightest bit uncomfortable as a result of someone's existence, I can sue them.  WHAT!?!

I must be nuts, because I can't believe this law EXISTS ON THE BOOKS!!!!! Please someone convince me I am wrong.  That I am missing something.  That I am too naive to believe in common sense, or even plain old human decency.  Please tell me that its not right to sue someone because they tell you they like your shoes, or your dress... especially a child in school.. please tell me that if my son has a crush on a young girl and tells her he thinks she's beautiful that she won't have the right to sue him.. or the school..

Please someone, explain this to me.  Make me understand.  I feel like I'm in a Star Trek episode.  In one particular episode Kirk found himself on a planet where the inhabitants were of two breeds.. one breed was white on the left side and black on the right side, while the other breed was white on the right side and black on the left side.. each was prejudiced against the other.  I thought the episode was extremely insightful and an amazing comment on race relations.  Distilled in one Star Trek episode.  The creators of the series had a great way of showing the idiocy of certain societal issues.  Maybe that's what's happening now.  Insanity.. the Final Frontier.. these are the voyages of the starship Earth.. going where no sane person has ever gone before.