Students At N.J. Middle School Say Principal Announced Ban On Hugging

March 22, 2012 8:16 PM

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MATAWAN, N.J. (CBSNewYork) –There is a lot of confusion at Matawan-Aberdeen Middle School, where students say the principal made an unusual announcement last week.

“First, I heard over the loudspeaker ‘We are a no hugging school’ and we are…’This is our new policy,’” student John Carelli told CBS 2′s Cindy Hsu on Thursday.

Some of the students went home with stories about a hugging ban that if they hugged in school, they could be suspended.
Some parents, including Tammy Sabatini, who has had three kids attend the school, found the idea crazy.

“They’ve hugged forever since they were babies and now they’re being told they can’t do it,” Sabatini said.

1010 WINS’ Steve Sandberg reports

“It’s stupid, I’ve never heard of such a thing. Why can’t you hug?” another parent told 1010 WINS’ Steve Sandberg. “That’s how we grew up, with affection. You hug, you kiss.”

“It’s kind of silly,” one man said. “When I was in middle school I hugged my friends — boys and girls. I don’t know what the big deal is.”

On Wednesday night, many parents received the following recorded message from the principal, trying to clarify things:

“Hugging can be inappropriate and we want to make sure that there’s no inappropriate physical contact. We certainly do not have a policy against hugging nor do we intend to or have we suspended students for hugging,” the message said.

The message went on to say the school wants the students to stay focused on academics. CBS 2′s Hsu tried to talk to the principal about the issue, but he had no comment. The school superintendent also had no comment.

“I just think it’s an outrage. It’s hugging. It’s not like it’s going to kill anyone,” said student Miranda Allen.

WCBS 880′s Sean Adams On The Story

“If they can’t do it in school, they have plenty of time to hug their friends outside of school — when they’re home under the supervision of their parents, and when they’re in school, they can learn,” parent Deirdre Ring said.

So while there’s still a lot of confusion over the whole issue, students say they will keep on hugging off school grounds.

What do you think of the idea of a hugging ban? Let us know below…

Esoldat

Drugs – not Hugs!
Paul from NJ

It’s OK if you’re gay, because if you ban it for gay people it would be a hate crime.
Robert g

Time to stage a hug-in
dhc

Do you need more proof that the dumbest people on college campuses study “education” and become teachers and public school administrators? They make the football team look like Rhodes Scholars!
Concerned Parent

Sounds like a good time for a GROUP HUG!!!
Mao Z. Goebbels

I for one think this is a fantstic policy. Der Kinder should learn to worship the almighty State, and as we all know, affection for others gets in the way of that. I don’t agree with the punishment. I think that those caught in a retrograde counter-revolutionary embrace should be thrown into a room and have the firehose turned on them. This is a proven method that cuts down on undesirable behavior.
Hawkdriver1961

And liberals claim to be the standard bearers of love and compassion, yea right. Liberalism is a sick joke being played on the people. This dovetails with UK schools banning best friends. This is the beginning of 1984 people. Stripping away an individual’s humanity and emotions is a science to totalitarians. Our children little by little are being conditioned for a reason…..Disgusting
Joe Bite-me

sounds like the pirate principal needs to get some
Joe Bite-me

they will start wearing pants with holes in the front, and call it “fugging”…you watch
Dona D

NJ is sick and getting sicker. I lived in NJ for 36 years and got out after 9/11 and will NEVER GO BACK! You can keep the insane property taxes, the invasion of illegals, the arrogant lib Koolaid drinkers. This story tops the cake.
Mememe

That’s what happens when you vote Democrat, you stupid f v cks.
jesse

Any teacher with critical thinking skills knows the difference between an affectionate hug and humping and I’m sure would deal with that situation.
This is more liberal PC bull. And you’re a fool
Christy

The public education system stinks on so many levels, this is just another example of how.
bruce

Why weren’t there any boys hugging boys in the video? Why only girls hugging girls? A bit of a double standard, don’t you think?
xvbc

The solution is for the entire student body to hug one another all day long. They cant have you all arested. Screw them
rex dart eskimo spy

What next? Ban bowel movements to save on sewer taxes?
james

How about if some jock scores some touchdown/basket/home run and their teammates hug them or, gasp, slap them on the butt, is that still ok???
http://homeeducators.wordpress.com iambicpentamaster

Gummint skool idjuts…
THEGADGETMAN

No hugging!… but here are all the condoms you want!!!

Christy

The public school system is so a$$ backwards.

Dana

THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON THAT TWEENAGERS NEED TO MAKE PHYSICAL CONTACT WHILE AT SCHOOL. SOME OF THE HUGS MAY BE UNWANTED!?? YOU IDIOTS EVER THOUGHT OF THAT? LIBERALS. LITTLE SEX-CRAZED BOYS MIGHT BE COMING UP TO GIRLS ACTING LIKE THEY JUST WANT AN INNOCENT HUG.. BUT THATS NOT WHAT ITS ABOUT. THE GIRLS MAY FEEL TOO EMBARRASSED TO TELL SOMEONE THEY DON’T LIKE IT! ITS NOT ABOUT GIRLS HUGGING GIRLS OR GUYS HUGGING GUYS (GUYS DON’T DO THAT). THERE IS MORE TO IT WHEN A MIDDLE SCHOOL BOY AND GIRL HUG. I ALWAYS HATED THE HUGGERS IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.. THE GIRLS MORE THAN THE GUYS… THE GIRLS DO IT FOR ATTENTION.

THEGADGETMAN

you’re an idiot! I am sure you haven’t been hugged since middle school!
Christy

There is something seriously wrong with you hun! Just so ya know, the LIBERALS are the ones creating all of these b.s. rules about no hugging, no best friends, but lets pass out condoms to everyone and give free lunches to illegals who shouldn’t be here. Or, how about letting perverted sexed teachers molest the kids and not remove them from the classroom but cover up their sick behaviors. The liberal are the problem!
Dona D

you sound like a sicko to me
Dona D

want to be clear that Dana sounds like a sicko to me… she needs therapy from going to these government run schools..how’s that working for ya’s?

williampenn

Parents and students MUST rebel against totalitarian dictators in schools. Those people DO NOT run your life. Tell them to kiss off!
Mark Santeramo

As a teacher, this is nothing new.

It’s obvious that the idiot principal wanted to keep the hallways moving in between periods and make sure that kids weren’t late to class anymore for stupid reasons. Not a real surprise here; what’s hilarious is how he mothers of these kids have no clue as to why the principal would have said this sort of thing.
Jim from Boston

More extreme leftism. They believe we should all rely upon government, THEIR government, for EVERYTHING! Another recent headline tells of a school in England that encourages children NOT to have a “best friend”.

Need consoling? Government will console you.
Need a best friend? Government is your best friend.
Need anything? Call your local government office.

Leftism is evil!

Christy

Jim, you hit the nail right on the head with this one! I’m sure you also read the article awhile ago re how in liberal, socialist EU that they won’t let the kids play with gender specific dolls either. This is to promote the gay agenda and to brainwash the little ones into thinking that being ‘gender confused’ is ok.
Dona D

GREAT POINTS JIM!

MucseraSlarebiL

Well at least this way nobody will get sued for inappropriate contact. I think it’s a great thing that the Principal is doing because the only way to prevent his school being sued is to stop people from any kind of contact that might get a trial lawyer involved, probably one from Matawan, who wants to retire early. Everyone from Matawan can feel badly about the hugging loss but this is the state you’re living in.

Christy

So it’s ok for the perv teachers to molest and ‘hug’ the kids but the kids cannot touch another for fear of a possible lawsuit? Sounds like another liberal elitist way of thinking ‘do as I say, not as I do’

katie

omg, i go to this school!!!

Wenford Cullinghan

“The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed a standard citizenry, to put down dissent and originality” ~ H. L. Mencken

===================== http://911essentials.com
Phil

Arms by your side and don’t forget to goose step.

Lisa

Love it!
Lisa

Hate it!

johnny

Like it….I think

ella funt

Erections should also be banned.

Robert Provins

Idiots like this principal shouldbe banned!

E D

Agree.

jim

you deserve a hug.

Auzzievick

Can I hug my daog? How about my horse?

Auzzievick

I meant “dog.”

Guitar Yankee

Schools in the UK have banned best friends, claiming to protect kids from painful break-ups. Using that sanme argument, we should also ban marriage and the sharing of office suites. Those who can – do. Those who can’t even take their psych meds as prescribed – teach. Go hug your friends, Katie.. Your principal is not only insane, but having denied his original policy, it appears he is a liar too. He was probably the only kid in his school who never go a hug!

george

“Using that sanme argument, we should also ban marriage …” We won’t ban marriage, we’ll simply redefine it.
Daisy

“Schools in the UK have banned best friends, claiming to protect kids from painful break-ups.”

Not at all the same issue. It’s really not to much to ask that students show proper decorum and not behave like they’re giddily mating at the mall while at school. School is, after all, a workplace for students. Not a popular notion, I recognize, nevertheless, true.

RANDJA

yep a workplace and a place to learn about getting along with your fellow humans , to learn how to deal with relationships of all kinds. yes even sex and love and all the bad things that can go with them . to todays leaders schools are warehouse to keep kids in to make them all the same to control them and stop free thinkers and the one with promise. the individual is to be looked down on and scorned. I tell you this and you know it the world need the individual screw this village mentality . we need men and women that can think things thru to lead the future. IF WE HAVE ONE THAT IS

frgough

Oh, good grief. How is being artificially segregated according to age helping you learn how to get along with your fellow human beings? What do you do, lock your children in a cage in the basement when they aren’t in school?

School should be a place to learn. Develop friendships outside of school.

Frank McAvoy

That’s not even remotely reasonable. The vast majority of children gain experience in creating and handling interpersonal relationships while in school.

You really believe that allowing little kids to give each other a hug is going to interfere with education? We’ve gone the entirety of our history without banning hugging in schools and there has never been anything to suggest that kids learn better if we keep them from hugging each other. You’re insane.

urdrwho

Daisy, yes they are there to learn but in the hallways they are also learning to interact with people. They talk in the halls, they laugh in the halls and a hug to a friend while walking in the hall is fine. What part of your work theory means no interaction with people on the way to another class.

I sure as heck hope you aren’t a manager because you clearly don’t have management (people) skills.

People are loosing their minds — no make that people are losing common sense.
terry

I take it you are one of those people that NO ONE ever talk to or hugged in school.

johnny

We should ban banning

Right

YES!!!

Joe

having taught middle school, I can tell you that hugging can get out of hand. Dad, do you really want that hormonal eighth grader hugging your daughter?

Tired

As a current high school teacher, my community expects me to intervene if the behavior is or seems inappropriate. This idea of banning is another dumb idea brought to you by an administrator with a book and no student relationships. There are kids who need a hug, high five, knuckle bump, verbal recognition, gold star on the forehead, or whatever…………because they aren’t getting it at home.

magicbeans

I have also worked with kids and I agree with you. People and kids need hugs sometimes. Teachers and other grown ups are able to tell hugging from anything inappropriate.

Absolute nonsense.

J Biden

I dunno -

What she look like?

Whups – there I go again!
Last Sane Man, CA

Clearly this is the job of the Middle School’s administration, not the parents! That would be preposterous, amiright?

Mao Z. Goebbels

If I were you, I would encourage your fellow students to stage a “hug-in” during an assembly. Watch these clowns try to suspend everybody.
sam

Can they still hug trees?

Gomer Obama

Liberal teacher require tree hugging.

kathy

TRANSFER now!

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Students At N.J. Middle School Say Principal Announced Ban On Hugging

March 22, 2012 8:16 PM

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