Admittedly, since my oldest grandchild just entered second grade this year, I have been out of the loop regarding school board policies dealing with public displays of affection (PDA) between students. I guess, after watching Glee for three years, I had thought schools were getting more enlightened about the subject of consensual, non-sexual touch.
That must be why I was taken by surprise when a Florida middle school recently suspended two students for a quick hug. Naive little me. There it was in black and white in the school district’s policy manual: No kissing, hand holding or hugging. I took note of the fact that it didn’t prohibit sex, which presumably was the ultimate goal.
This issue surfaced when the Latina parent of one of the kids objected to the suspension saying it is part of their culture to hug. She looked a bit stunned that hugging would be stigmatized. This was clearly a clash of cultures and guess which culture won? Why the dominant culture with the most pathological relationship to touch, of course.
View the original brief news story below and let me know what you think? Should hugs be banned in middle school? How about elementary school? Kindergarten? When, exactly is a hug at school appropriate?
