Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Hugging – is it a PDA?

The Associated Press reports in today’s Northwest Herald that an 8th Grade girl in the Mascoutah (Illinois) Community Unit School District #19, located southeast of St. Louis, has received two detentions for hugging two friends last Friday.

How absurd a penalty, barring any significant information not reported in the article. The School District claimed that hugging violates a school policy against Public Displays of Affection.

Read the local newspaper’s articles in the Belleville News-Democrat online at http://www.bnd.com/news/education/story/171432.html and at http://www.bnd.com/390/story/172396.html

And watch "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" on CNN tonight for more information.

We can all imagine PDAs that are improper, disrespectful, in bad taste, etc. But hugging a friend with an arm around a shoulder and a slight squeeze? The school policy against PDAs says they are in poor taste … and bring discredit to the school … I’d say this type of publicity brings far more discredit to the school than a couple of little hugs!

This is almost as absurd as suspending an 8-year-old for drawing a stick figure with a gun and calling it a violation of school policy against weapons. (A different school district was involved in this one.)

What do we teach our children with such reactions by school officials? This obviously was addressed first on the school level by some administrator, and then the superintendent is the one who catches the heat because he’s the top dog in the fight.

If you have an opinion, write to Dr. McGowen at superintendent@mascoutah19.k12.il.us and to Mr. Bob Stone, Principal of Mascoutah Middle School at mascoutahmiddle@mascoutah19.k12.il.us

2 comments:

Gus said...

The Anderson Cooper 360º segment was apparently Tuesday night, not November 7. Sorry.

Anonymous said...

Now I understand why you have a press pass. You suck at reporting the facts.