School Bans Hugging, ALL Displays Of Affection

[matcom]

<snip>

BEND, Ore. -- Public displays of affection are against the rules at Sky View Middle School in Bend, and 14-year-old Cazz Altomare found that out the hard way.

She got detention earlier this year after hugging her boyfriend in the hallway as he headed to lunch and she went to gym class.

Her mother, Leslee Swanson was infuriated by the punishment -- in fact, when she went to pick her daughter up from detention, she gave her a good, hard hug.

"I'm trying to understand what's wrong with a hug," said Swanson, 42.

But administrators said such policies are standard-issue at middle schools across the country.

"Really, all we're trying to do is create an environment that's focused on learning, and learning proper manners is part of that," said Dave Haack, the principal of Cascade Middle School, also in Bend. "This is not us being the romance police."

Students only end up with detention after repeated warnings, he said.

Outside Pilot Butte Middle School on a recent lunch break, two seventh-grade girls said they disagreed with the school's policies.

"I think we should be able to hold hands or hug at least," Annie Wilson, 12, told The Bulletin in Bend. "Because it's not doing anything bad."

Others are more in favor of the rule, like Christina Barackman, 13, also a Pilot Butte seventh-grader.

"I think they're nice to keep boundaries for kids," she said.

Schools need to define and actively teach what they do want to see in student behavior, said Rob Horner, a University of Oregon professor who works with schools across the nation on "building social culture that supports effective learning."

"To say 'no hugging' really blows it," Horner said. "That's exactly the sort of trap that, as soon as you say that, what is the first thing everyone is going to want to do?"

At home after school on a recent afternoon, Cazz, the Sky View student, described the no-hug rule as "dumb."

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2005/05/15/hugging_ban_sparks_dispute_at_ore_school/

[Zuni]

1. that is just ridiculous

[Zenlitened]

2. Maybe we should have a rule like that for the Lounge.

PDA = bad, right?

:crazy:

[ret5hd]

3. i'd say that Christina Barackman of Pilot Butte...

is a FINE example of the OUTSTANDING fascists of the future. She obviously has a BRIGHT and FULL life ahead of her as headmistress of a detention camp.

[underpants]

4. *raises hand* Does this include dry humping?

*walks down hall to principal's office*

[matcom]

5. your gonna dry hump the principal?

eeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Mr Gaffney isn't all that great looking

*just trying to warn you ahead of time*

[underpants]

7. Not going to post it not going to post it

Schoolteacher :9

[DS1]

6. Detention is where the cool kids give each other head in the back

;-)