To Hug Or Not To Hug, That's Detention

[DeSwiss]

Hugging: Too much affection?

Posted on Wed, Nov. 07, 2007
BY RICKEENA J. RICHARDS
News-Democrat

MASCOUTAH -- Eighth-grader Megan Coulter completed her two-day detention sentence Tuesday at Mascoutah Middle School for hugging two of her friends good-bye for the weekend Friday. Superintendent Sam McGowen said Monday that school officials handled the situation properly and in accordance with school policy. Some, however, feel Megan's penalty was too harsh. And the case is getting widespread attention.

Megan's mother Melissa Coulter said her family is scheduled for an interview tonight on "Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees" on CNN, which airs beginning at 9 p.m. They are scheduled to appear Thursday morning on the "Fox and Friends" morning show. Megan said she didn't think her situation would attract so much interest. "I definitely didn't think we'd get this much attention on it," Megan said. "It's ... wow."

McGowen said today that administrators had no choice but to act because Megan flagrantly broke the rules. “The first instance came at a basketball game a week ago,” McGowen said. “And believe me, it was much more than just hugging.” McGowen said on Friday there were two separate incidents. He said Megan hugged one person outside of the school building and received a second warning about public displays of affection. She then went back inside, came out and hugged a female friend right in front of the school principal.

“When she does it right in front of an administrator, well, what else are we going to do?” McGowen asked. “That policy has been in place for 14 years, and we have never had a problem with it before. Never.” According to the student handbook, displays of affection are prohibited on school grounds. Said Mascoutah Middle School seventh-grader Ethan Byford: "I didn't think it was that big of a deal -- it's just a hug."

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- Whatever happened to the quaint little constitutional concepts known as "Freedom of Expression" and "Freedom of Association?" And I'm sure that the school system also has a policy against bullying. But I wonder how well they enforce that one.

The only thing I can figure out that could be happening here is that apparently every single one of the people sitting on this school board never had a date when they were in school. And so now the payback cometh.....

[sam sarrha]

1. well if you dont slap down those godless lesbian abominations early they will infect everyone.!! n/t

[alarimer]

2. Is it just me or have school administrators become a bunch of Nazis?

Or have they always been Nazis? It's been a while since I was in school.

[NMMNG]

3. ...

Whatever happened to the quaint little constitutional concepts known as "Freedom of Expression" and "Freedom of Association?"

They don't apply to minors, particularly in schools.