Student suspended over hugs

[almaty 19]

MASCOUTAH — Megan Coulter says they were just innocent hugs, little displays of affection with three of her friends. But the trio of squeezes landed the Mascoutah Middle School student in detention for violating school district policy.

"It was a simple arm-over-the-shoulder thing. It wasn't even bodies pressing," Megan, 13, said Tuesday afternoon, shortly after finishing the second of two detention sessions. "I knew there was a policy on public displays of affection, but I didn't know you could get into trouble for something as little as a hug. I didn't think it was serious."

About two weeks ago, Megan walked up to a male friend at a football game and embraced him. Moments later Assistant Principal Randy Blakely gave her a warning, telling her the hug violated the district's policy, which says, "Displays of affection should not occur on the school campus at any time."

One incident results in a warning. The second earns students a detention, and a third can result in an in-school suspension.

On Friday, Megan hugged another male friend outside school as students were boarding school buses at the end of the school day. Blakely gave her a detention. Shortly afterward, Megan hugged another friend, this time a girl. Blakely told her again it was a violation of the school policy and gave her another detention, Megan said.

"I thought it was just with boys," she said. "So then I went and hugged Katie, and he said, 'Megan, I've already given you one detention.'"

When Megan went home that afternoon, she told her mother. "She came through the door and said, 'Mom, you're not going to believe this.'" Melissa Coulter said. "I thought there was something else that happened that maybe she didn't tell me about."

Coulter said she planned to bring up the issue at the next School Board meeting.

Superintendent Sam McGowen says hugs are enough to breach the district's policy. "The policy I'm talking about is not anything new," he said. "The policy is to cut down on public displays of affection. It's not an isolated incident. Other students have been disciplined in the past."

McGowen said he inherited the policy when he became superintendent 14 years ago but left it in place because he feels it removes the burden of interpreting the nature of affectionate displays — and whether those displays were welcome — from administrators and teachers.

"We want everybody to know up front what the rules are," he said. "Latitude leads to spotty enforcement of the policy."

Some of McGowen's counterparts in other districts say they agree. "I don't disagree with what Mascoutah did," said Allen Scharf, superintendent at the Millstadt School District. "My personal opinion is that school is for education. And hugging, it's great off school time."

Many school districts don't have policies on public displays of affection, and those that do leave them deliberately vague. That means teachers and administrators are left to decide when a hug or a pat on the back is merely a friendly gesture.

"There are kisses and there are kisses," said David Elson, superintendent of the Alton School District, which does not have a written policy on public displays of affection. "There are hugs and there are hugs. If it's pelvis to pelvis, and it looks like there's some grinding going on, that's just not appropriate in school."

The vagueness of school policy suits most districts well.

"Many of our rules remain vague because I want the ability to interpret them," said Steve Dirnbeck, principal at O'Fallon Township High School. "I've got kids who hug each other all the time, and I don't think anything is meant by it. It's just a need to show affection."

Megan says she's learned her lesson.

"I always see people hugging, so I never thought I could get in so much trouble," she said. "Even today in school, I told people, 'Don't do that!'"

[eric&gen 0]

How stupid lol.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Yet the schools can pass out condoms. Sheesh !

[one...two...tree 2,762]

In an attempt treat every public display of affection equally, they've made it unfair. Equality doesn't equate to fairness. A policy should be built on the latitude to use good judgment which is also fair and reasonable. Has fair and reasonable become too ambiguous?

[Kevin and 10]

This is another example of how extreme society has gotten.

They let the girls wear risque clothing and when the hormone fill boys look they get in trouble and/or charged with sexual harassment. Society tells them to flaunt it if they got it, but they don't want the attention it brings.

This is old news

http://www.wbaltv.com/news/10573391/detail.html

[Otto 83]

Yup, you read it correctly folks...it was hugs not drugs...

[almaty 19]

yes..hugs and drugs are taboo in the Metro-East in illinois./..

[JVKn'CVO 11]

That's crazy!

Saludos,

Caro

[Ban Hammer 13,445]

Yet the schools can pass out condoms. Sheesh !

talk about a mixed message. that's like handing out alcohol at an aa meeting and telling people not to drink.

[JODO 2]

Seems silly,but this is what happens when administrators are not given discretion in punishment.

[almaty 19]

Yet the schools can pass out condoms. Sheesh !

talk about a mixed message. that's like handing out alcohol at an aa meeting and telling people not to drink.

i agree..when i was in school and it was more conservative in those days..pawing and kissing did not even lead to detention.,.just told to break it up...

[Nessa 23]

[SteveLaura 0]

In an attempt treat every public display of affection equally, they've made it unfair. Equality doesn't equate to fairness. A policy should be built on the latitude to use good judgment which is also fair and reasonable. Has fair and reasonable become too ambiguous?

Agreed. I'd be surprised if teachers can't tell the difference between a hug with friendly intent and one with something more intimate. Weren't they ever teenagers?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

In an attempt treat every public display of affection equally, they've made it unfair. Equality doesn't equate to fairness. A policy should be built on the latitude to use good judgment which is also fair and reasonable. Has fair and reasonable become too ambiguous?

Agreed. I'd be surprised if teachers can't tell the difference between a hug with friendly intent and one with something more intimate. Weren't they ever teenagers?

My teachers never were. They were evil. They made me do homework, the sadistic b1tches!

[SteveLaura 0]

In an attempt treat every public display of affection equally, they've made it unfair. Equality doesn't equate to fairness. A policy should be built on the latitude to use good judgment which is also fair and reasonable. Has fair and reasonable become too ambiguous?

Agreed. I'd be surprised if teachers can't tell the difference between a hug with friendly intent and one with something more intimate. Weren't they ever teenagers?

My teachers never were. They were evil. They made me do homework, the sadistic b1tches!

I feel your pain, VJ Troll. Would you like a hug?