Autistic Student Who Kissed Wrong Person Expelled for Sexual Assault

Robby Soave
Reason
Jan. 14, 2015

An autistic 20-year-old who attends special-needs classes at Navarro College in Waxahachie, Texas, was recently kicked out for sexually assaulting another student. What did he do, specifically? He hugged a female student and kissed her on the top of the head, having mistaken her for someone else.

Brian Ferguson is moderately impaired by his autism but can speak well enough and enjoys attending classes. He was walking down a hallway when he encountered a woman he wrongly thought he knew. According to NBCDFW.com:

The woman, who has not been identified and could not be reached for comment, turned out to be a stranger.

"He gave her a hug and kissed her on the top of her head," [said Staci Martin, Ferguson's mother]. "He's 6'5", so when he gives hugs, he'll give you a big hug and kiss you right here on the top of your scalp."

The school called it an assault, she said.

"And then they labeled it 'sexual assault' because of the kissing," Martin said. "They said a kiss is considered an assault."

District administrators ultimately decided to let Ferguson return to classes--but at a high school, not his college.

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