Student suspended for sexual harassment after hugging teacher

(CNN) -- To Sam McNair, a 17-year-old high school senior in Duluth, Georgia, it was an innocent hug.

"You never know what someone's going through," McNair told CNN affiliate WGCL in Atlanta. "A hug might help."

It didn't in this case because after McNair hugged a teacher, he ended up with a year-long suspension from Duluth High School, putting his college plans in jeopardy.

Asked if he kissed the teacher, Sam told the television reporter he did not. He said he has hugged teachers many times before, including this teacher, and has never been warned."

What? A hug?  Apparently McNair had a history of hugging several teachers, so clearly this kid is a creep, right?  This is ridiculous.  Dude just goes around trying to make someone's day better by giving a hug, and gets suspended.  And it's not even like he's being suspended for a week, he;s being suspended for the rest of the year!!!  Apparently he plays football and lacrosse too, so maybe simply because he's a jock giving a teacher a hug makes it seem suspicious since they are trying to avoid an athlete-teacher sexual relationship.  The story does say he has discipline issues but nothing to the severity of sexual harassment or anything like it.  I feel like what's going to happen is that it is going to be his word against hers and simply because he is a teen, and I hate to say it, but also because he is Black, that the investigation will favor the teacher's word.  That's just the world we live in.

Really hope it all works out for this kid.

PS- Can we get a picture of the teacher?