Does anyone else think this is fk'n ridiculous?

That what happens when school officials have to much time on their hands.

Unbelievable!!

shakes head ...kev.

I understand wanting to keep couples from making out in the hallways, but this is absolutely ridiculous. Let's isolate our kids even more by keeping them from even touching each other. I can see it now: "Sorry your best friend is crying, all you can do is hand her a kleenex... don't touch her!"

Aaargh! (throwing up my hands)

yes it is beyond ridiculous! almost as ridiculous as uniforms which i think is stupid beyond stupid.

kim

I think that whenever behavior is to be regulated, there will be these kinds of over interpretations, as well as cracks where clearly inappropriate things fall through, because of the difficulty of defining things clearly. As is often the case, things are not so clear with a little more investigation.

For various reasons, PDA has become an issue in the schools. Often at the insistence of parents, sometimes due to lawsuits. I am not taking any stand on the issue because I only know what I read in a few bits of news coverage today.

I note this was a middle-school, not a high-school, and the policies will also need to apply to kids as young as 10 - not just this 13yr old.

This article seemed balanced: Time Magazine

I note that while thinking her daughter's detentions were silly and advocating some refinement of the policy, the girl's own mother still "support anti-PDA policies, particularly for teenagers. 'I don't want them to be all over each other in the hallways.'"

I also note that the detentions occurred after a warning the previous week, and were for two separate incidents just minutes apart. The 1st article failed to mention the boyfriend (from the prior warning) was involved in one of the hugs, and made it sound like the girl hugged two of her girlfriends. (I have to wonder if the author of the article Randy cited was not trying to be manipulative). I find TV network coverage of issues is often a little polarized and sensational because they want to hold our eyeballs.

On quick reading, the girl's actions have the appearance of an intention to test and push the policy, and if so, the girl should accept the detentions as part-n-parcel of getting her point across via her non-compliance (aka civil disobedience).

I think as the dialog between parents, administrators, and school boards continues these issues will get sorted out. Better definitions will get established, and school officials will receive some limited protections for cases where their judgement (in allowing a PDA) is challenged with subsequent legal action.

If I was a school official and feared being sued because some parent thought their child was allowed to engage in inappropriate PDA on school grounds, I might go overboard with the bans too. I really don't think this is a question of school officials having too much time on their hands or being stupid or mean (though some may be). I see it more as the kind of silly postures that result when silly lawsuits are allowed to proceed without check.

I read:

To a growing number of school districts, it doesn’t matter. Leery of being sued under laws that make schools liable for not stopping sexual harassment between students, they’ve declared their campuses to be no-hug zones; some schools have even banned holding hands.

I'm glad the issue is in the news, and I'm glad Randy posted it. This kind of dialog lets us become informed of developing issues and educate ourselves, and hopefully help move the social discourse along towards a solution.

In this case I am thinking the solution is more tort reform rather than bashing school officials.

I also suspect this girl knew there might be the consequences of her actions. I have no problem with her trying to force the issue (in fact I applaud it), but I do have a problem with her subsequent statement that "I don't think I should even be punished." I wish she had said the rules need to be changed; it bothers me that she wants to be exempted from consequences of her actions after receiving warnings - especially something as mild as two detentions.

Ok...here are my 2 cents worth on the subject. Thanks to over-reactive, law-suit happy parents and equally over-reactive school administrators, our schools are becoming unpleasant places to be. Whether this girl is wrong or right, this policy is beyond absurd, to say the least. Of course the school doesn't want any overt sexual contact on campus, but a hug? Come on! When I was a kid in school way back when, students would frequently be found making out and/or groping each other in the hallways and when caught, they were told to knock it off and save it for after school. No harm, no foul! We all had a good time then and still learned what was taught in class. I think these so-called administrators have forgotten about school being an enjoyable place to be. Granted, hugging and kissing weren't meant to be part of that enjoyment, but a more relaxed atmosphere was part of it. Nowadays, schools are sooo uptight that its no wonder that alot of kids today are in therapy and on some sort of mood stabilizing drug. I think that in this day and age many parents are raising their kids to be super-sensitive and the kids are learning to be offended by harmless stuff. IMO this all tends to go right along with banning the pledge of allegiance simply because it mentions God. We had students in my school who didn't believe in God, but the pledge didn't offend them or their parents. They simply did not participate when it was recited. Bottom line...a simple hug should not be an issue.

Thanks for letting me rant. (Putting my soapbox away...lol)

Rus

They can stop hugging, but not bullying..... Hey were did the sun go; must be the thought running through their heads.

Hmmm I think that's a common thing with men... to trip or fall, "into" someone...

that's why they always say..
" it was an accident"
Sure it was...

;D

Roxy

LOL Smart Ass !!!!!!

Roxy