Illinois Eighth Grader Gets Detention For Hug
Posted: Wednesday, November 07, 2007
by Asher Ricard
A 13-year-old girl was given two days of detention because she hugged two friends in the process of saying goodbye for the weekend. Megan Coulter was sentenced the two days for what school officials said, was public displays of affection in which the school handbook forbids.
The handbook states, "Displays of affection should not occur on the school campus at any time. It is in poor taste, reflects poor judgment, and brings discredit to the school and to the persons involved."
This to me is crazy. We have heard a lot of these stories lately. With kindergarteners expelled because of kisses on the cheek or hugs. These are kids. They are going to be kids. We are setting standards of punishment for affection.
I think the school districts are on the wrong track. Why not instead of focusing their attention on students doing public displays of affection, focusing on teachers who are overstepping bounds with students?
What message does this teach Coulter? That she should not show love to friends? It just seems utterly ridiculous to me that with all the over the top affections and inappropriate relationships, we are going to outlaw a simple have a great weekend hug.
You can't tell me she was not targeted to either teach others a lesson or as a teacher who dislikes her for whatever reason. You just don't give two days of detention for something so innocent.
Kudos to Coulter's parents, who are meeting with the school, boards in hope to rewording of this policy. Hopefully the Board will listen.
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)Come on, get real! In these days of guns, drugs and all else that students have to deal with, hugs are good! And we see on CNN, and obese principal or supervisor saying that "hugs lead to other things". I hope the challenge to the policy is successful! Bob in Maine Hugs to allI couldn't agree more! Thanks for the comment!
That blows my mind. Hugs are perfectly acceptable in American culture aren't they? What's with the all-or-nothing mindset that any affection is bad? It's human to want to give and receive affection, and it doesn't all have to do with sexuality if that's what this is about.Exactly! I agree totally! Thanks for the comment!
Asher, I couldn't believe this when I heard about it. It is bizarre and there is no other way to look at it. I can understand why a high school might want to limit displays of affection when a 'couple' think canoodling on school grounds is okay; but to have a blanket ban on hugs between friends is off the scale of sanity. With all the guns and violence in schools, in society, hugs are banned? It truly beggars belief. I love to see young people, friends, give each other a hug. My children have always done it, (now adults and still hug), and I get the odd hug here and there from their friends. My friends and I hug and it's delightful. We don't have enough human touch in the normal run of life as it is, and it is scientifically proven that we need touch to not only be emotionally healthy, but in order to survive emotionally. Small children and babies in early orphanages wasted and died because they were starved of touch, of affection. Yet, here we are in the 21st century punishing a child for giving her friends a hug. Unbelievable. Scary in fact. Definitely a bridge too far.
This is absolultely stupid. Open tokens of affection is normal banning it is not. These people should resign from their posts right away because they are out of touch with the human race. When I see my two grown up adult sons the very first thing we do is hug.
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