Connecticut School Bans Physical Contact

[babylonsister]

Connecticut School Bans Physical Contact
East Shore M.S. Outlaws "High-Fives," "Hugging" And Horseplay Of Any Kind; Violators May Face Expulsion
MILFORD, Conn. (CBS) ―


A Connecticut middle school principal has laid down the law: You put your hands on someone -- anyone -- in any way, you're going to pay.

A violent incident that put one student in the hospital has officials at the Milford school implementing a "no touching" policy, according to a letter written by the school's principal.

East Shore Middle School parents said the change came after a student was sent to the hospital after being struck in the groin.

Principal Catherine Williams sent out a letter earlier in the week telling parents recent behavior has seriously impacted the safety and learning at the school.

"Observed behaviors of concern recently exhibited include kicking others in the groin area, grabbing and touching of others in personal areas, hugging and horseplay. Physical contact is prohibited to keep all students safe in the learning environment," Williams wrote.

Students and parents are outraged. They said the new policy means no high-fives and hugs, as well as horseplay of any kind. The consequences could be dire, Williams warned in the letter.

more...

http://wcbstv.com/local/school.bans.hugs.2.969949.html

[Deja Q]

1. Good. No necking, and more importantly no bullying.

I wish they did this sort of common sense stuff when I was a kid... (flame away and make sport all you want, prove yourselves phony.)

[babylonsister]

2. I think it's ludicrous. Punish the bullies, and necking should be out

of bounds in a school environment anyway. What about high-fives, :fistbump:, holding hands with your honey, etc. Just plain dumb - imo.

[Deja Q]

6. Probably.

Still, some bullies would say "I was just trying to be friendly!" as some bullshit excuse to get around it.

The "no touch" mandate is absolute.

I agree with it.

Fully.

Thank the bullies and a culture that (used to) tolerate their shit.

[cali]

13. it's terribly unhealth to ban all touch. just sick.

[JerseygirlCT]

12. I agree. This reads like an overreaction by an administrator

unwilling to actually perform the job.

Blanket rules about no touching aren't what's needed. Supervision, and quick action in response to violent touching is what's needed.

Too many school administrators spend their time in their offices, behind the desk. They need to get off their duffs and into the halls.

[paulsby]

16. i'll flame away

it's frigging ridiculous

the schools have gotten more and more ridiculous recently. zero tolerance laws, calling the police for ridiculously minor stuff that should be handled internally (i say that as a cop who responds to these calls on occasion), punishing kids for self-defense, etc.

[baldguy]

3. Put each little snowflake in a hermetically sealed box until they're 21.

Then see what type of well-adjusted adults get decanted.

[soothsayer]

14. lol, well said

[juno jones]

4. So can we still tease with the "I'm not touching you" game? n/t

[Yukari Yakumo]

5. This is one reason why public schools get a bad rep

This has "total disaster" written all over it. I think Williams needs to start sending out her resume, 'cause I doubt she'll still be employed by the end of June.

Then again, knowing the way things work, she'll likely be "kicked upstairs" instead.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

18. We went though some zero tolerance nonsense like that...

My youngest daughter was getting hazed a bit being the a new kid at the Jr Hi. She told the bully where to get off in front of her posse. Bully could not take the loss of face and came attacked my daughter ineffectively. Teacher saw it happen, both kids were sent to the office. When we got there we were told even though she was clearly being attacked under the zero tolerance rules, both kids were suspended or no one was. Appeals to the school board and common sense were useless. We agreed to drop it.

[bluestateguy]

7. More zero tolerance crap

It won't prevent violence and bullying. Instead, it will result in suspensions for two girlfriends who hug each other, for example.

[BlooInBloo]

8. BWAHAHAAHAAAA!!!!

[LWolf]

9. Common practice.

Most middle schools have some policy about physical contact. Whatever they call it, admins tend to rein in behaviors whenever things get out of hand, and relax when things are relatively calm. It's generally pretty flexible where I've worked. If a school is going to "no contact, period," it's because adolescents are smart enough, and determined enough, to find ways around most limitations, and because they are misusing physical contact.

I have a class of 8th graders that don't want to leave the room without hugging every last student in the place. It's a performance, it's calculated to distract and waste time, and, if allowed, it's quite successful. Nix the hugs and it becomes high-fives. We don't ban hugs and high-fives, but we do ban the misuse and abuse of hugs, high-fives, and any other problematic physical behaviors. So, if you get called out of my class early, you will not be hugging, high-fiving, or circulating around the room calling piteously "bye...bye...."

Which they will do even for a trip to the restroom, given the opportunity.

Neither will you be hugging, high-fiving, etc. at the lockers, which stand right outside the kindergarten class doors, and in the traffic corridor between the office and the rest of the school.

[droidamus2]

10. Understand the reason disagree with solution

I'm sorry but this is the same shortsighted method that resulted in 'zero tolerance' drug rules that gets kids in trouble for having an Ibuprofen tablet. Though I understand this man's desire to protect his students he is taking the lazy way out. He doesn't want to have to deal with this kind of activity on a case by case bases so he presents the student body and their parents with this no leeway no tolerance edict. As usual the article may not cover the whole of the story. If he has tried other less draconian methods with less than acceptable results then maybe a short test period might be okay but otherwise I think his solution is a little drastic. Penalizing somebody for doing a high five because some other kid kicked somebody in the groin doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Sort of the military solution if one persons causes a problem punish everybody.

[AnOhioan]

11. Ridiculous....no more comment necessary

[Odin2005]

15. This is BS.

Zero Tolerance = Zero Sense. Schools should not be like fucking prisons.

[CreekDog]

17. Zero tolerance is for administrators that cannot and don't want to think

despite being paid higher salaries to do just that.

i argue that for every zero tolerance policy that is put into place, the administrators take a commensurate pay cut being that they are being absoloved of the actual decisionmaking that they were paid to do in the first place.