Over-Reacting Again

Where is the common sense in Connecticut?

A Connecticut middle school principal has laid down the law: You put your hands on someone -- anyone -- in any way, you're going to pay.

A violent incident that put one student in the hospital has officials at the Milford school implementing a "no touching" policy, according to a letter written by the school's principal.

East Shore Middle School parents said the change came after a student was sent to the hospital after being struck in the groin.

Principal Catherine Williams sent out a letter earlier in the week telling parents recent behavior has seriously impacted the safety and learning at the school.

"Observed behaviors of concern recently exhibited include kicking others in the groin area, grabbing and touching of others in personal areas, hugging and horseplay. Physical contact is prohibited to keep all students safe in the learning environment," Williams wrote.

Students and parents are outraged. They said the new policy means no high-fives and hugs, as well as horseplay of any kind. The consequences could be dire, Williams warned in the letter.

While I certainly understand the school being concerned about kids being hit in the groin, banning all touching is going just a weeeee bit overboard. I mean is the school going to ban basketball or football in PE class - there is "touching" involved there. Come to think about it, just about any sport is going to require touching if some sort - is the school just going to ban PE altogether?

Here is a common sense thought for Principal Williams - rather than banning touching altogether, how about going after the kid(s) that hit the other kid in the groin in the first place. I would venture to guess that in your school (as there is in the Junior Logician's middle school) rules already in place to prevent assaults of this manner. Shoot if nothing else charge the kid(s) with assault since the child they hit ended up in the hospital....THAT would be the common sense solution to this "problem".

The Death of Common Sense

My new friend and neighbor The Free Savage (man what is it with the rabble rousers in the Savage Lands anyway) has a post up on a story that will curl your hair....literally.

There are two kinds of people in the world: the kind who think it's perfectly reasonable to strip-search a 13-year-old girl suspected of bringing ibuprofen to school, and the kind who think those people should be kept as far away from children as possible. The first group includes officials at Safford Middle School in Safford, Arizona, who in 2003 forced eighth-grader Savana Redding to prove she was not concealing Advil in her crotch or cleavage.

It also includes two judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, who last fall ruled that the strip search did not violate Savana's Fourth Amendment rights. The full court, which recently heard oral arguments in the case, now has an opportunity to overturn that decision and vote against a legal environment in which schoolchildren are conditioned to believe government agents have the authority to subject people to invasive, humiliating searches on the slightest pretext.

A 13 year old girl was FORCED to strip in order to prove to the school administrator that she was not concealing Advil IN HER CROTCH and the a couple of judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (or 9th Circus as some call it) SAID IT'S OK?!?!?!?!?!?!

If a cop had done something like this to a 13 year old girl, he would have been (rightly so mind you) jailed for molestation!

This is what "zero tolerance" policies get you people. This is why it is simply impracticable to protect our children from everything....to forbid everything in the name of zero tolerance. You not only get zero tolerance you also get zero common sense.

This is one of those cases where the ACLU should be applauded for taking up. I hope my friend and neighbor will keep me posted on this story.....