All things being equal, I much rather be hugged than hit.
You’d think this would be a universally accepted norm, but, you know, there’s always someone who has to be the exception.
Or, in this case, some school.
A few weeks ago, the halls of Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School in New Jersey became no-hugging zones.
According to news reports, more than 900 students were given direct orders from their principal that Matawan-Aberdeen was officially a “no hugging school” following “incidents of unsuitable, physical interactions.”
Huh?
What the heck are “incidents of unsuitable, physical interactions?”
Are we talking excessive PDA or the kind of not-so subtle squeezes that lead to teenage pregnancy?
According to New York’s CBS 2, the principal wouldn’t elaborate beyond this recorded message sent to students’ parents: “Hugging can be inappropriate and we want to make sure that there’s no inappropriate physical contact.”
While the principal seemed to be erring on the side of caution dealing with a student body which consists of 11 to 14 year olds, the kids came out swinging.
“I just think it’s an outrage. It’s hugging. It’s not like it’s going to kill anyone,” student Miranda Allen told CBS 2.
Some parents were equally stunned.
“It’s stupid, I’ve never heard of such a thing. Why can’t you hug?” one parent told a local radio host. “That’s how we grew up, with affection. You hug, you kiss.”
“It’s kind of silly,” another parent added. “When I was in middle school
I hugged my friends — boys and girls. I don’t know what the big deal is.”
Following the public outcry, the principal issued his recorded message. At the end of it he further confused parents and students by saying: “We certainly do not have a policy against hugging nor do we intend to or have we suspended students for hugging.”
So can these New Jersey students hug in school or not?
Neither the school principal nor the district superintendent would take questions from the media, and parents say they are not getting answers either.
Are your kids allowed to hug in school? How would you react if your child’s school banned hugging?
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