Two Florida Teens Suspended for Breaking School‘s ’No Hugging’ Policy
- Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:08pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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Nickolas Martinez and his mother Nancy Crescente are speaking out after Nickolas received a one-day suspension for hugging a female friend in school, a violation of district policy. (WKMG-TV)
Two Florida teens each received one-day in-school suspensions this week for hugging on school grounds.
Nickolas Martinez, a 14-year-old student at Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay, told Central Florida News 13 he was simply greeting a female friend with a quick hug between classes.
“Heading to my class, I see my friend and I just hug her, then the principal yells from behind me ‘come over here’ and we both go to the dean’s office and he writes us up for in school suspension,” Martinez said.
His mother, Nancy Crescente, told Orlando Fox affiliate WOFL-TV she was furious and couldn’t believe it when she got a call from the school Tuesday.
“I thought it was the most bizarre thing I’ve ever heard,” Crescente said. “We’re a cultural family and this is what we do.”
But according to a district spokeswoman, a committee of parents and teachers approved the “no hugging” policy years ago.
“‘Public Displays of Affection’ is a school board policy. It relates to kissing and holding hands and hugging. It is a blanket-wide policy across all schools here,” Brevard County School spokesperson Christine Davis told WOFL.
The policy is clearly stated in the student handbook, she said, along with the standard one-day in-school suspension punishment for any hugging or hand-holding infraction. The policy doesn’t make a distinction between an unwanted hug, like sexual harassment, or a mutual hug between friends.
According to the handbook, kissing will earn students a one-day out-of-school suspension.
“Our focus is on learning; therefore, we cannot discriminate or make an opinion on what is an appropriate hug, what’s not an appropriate hug,” Davis said. “What you may think is appropriate, another person may view as inappropriate.”
Crescente’s not buying that argument.
“There’s nothing wrong with hugging,” she told Orlando’s WKMG-TV. “If there’s nothing wrong with it in the legal system, why would there be something wrong with it in the school system?”
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Comments (101)
amerbur
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:43amSo you cannot hug a friend now. Give me a break. Our world is already too steril and isolated. People know the difference between a friendly hug and a sexual hug.
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 2:01amExactly. This has nothing to do with either. It’s a Principal who is a Progressive Bureaucrat.
I can‘t believe they didn’t list the Principal’s name in the article. He/She wants to bully children, and the spokesperson for the district loves blanket policies – they keep people from needing to think or use judgment. That’s exactly the attitude you want in the education system.
Report Post »TH30PH1LUS
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 3:17amNo hugging or kissing – you might be late to your TRANNY 101 class and miss the condom demonstration.
And we wonder why the next gen can’t read or do basic math?
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 6:49amPublic schools -no longer teach our children the 3 R’s our country is falling so far behind account of leadership in the PS system pay more attention to whats PC than teaching the basics close-em down
Report Post »EchoChuck
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 10:53amUnfortunately, our system is not as sterile as you say. While these kids are not allowed to give a friend a hug, our federally mandated school system is shoving homosexuality and group sex down their throats at the “sex ed” classes. Has to be confusing for these kids, yet is the way of our geniuses in washington.
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 10:57amThought they were teaching first graders oral sex…..courtesy of Bill Clinton’s, leave no child behind?
Report Post »biohazard23
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 10:58amhere‘s the principal’s email address scheuerer.todd@brevardschools.org
and here’s the school web page http://www.southwest.brevard.k12.fl.us/
feel free to let them know what you think of this policy.
Report Post »oneshiner
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:17pmGuess I’d be in jail for this. My circle of friends always hug because we’ll so happy to see each other.
Report Post »Now, if these kids are rubbing their bodies in a sexual way and swapping spit, it’s time to stop that.
Nothing wrong with greeting those you like with a quick hug. geeze,
MrSteve_46
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 5:03pmReally really really stupid policy ……………. No wonder schools are such a wasteland, they are run by morons……….
Report Post »chris3
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 8:31pmthe evil and division that is a dark cloud over us has many forms,but the agenda remains the same
Report Post »MrMagoo
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:42amI got censored by the Blaze?
Report Post »crackerone
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 10:50amMight be that silly hat? :)
Report Post »hogtrashhd
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:36amI agree with this.. keep your hands to yourself especially at that age.. when I was young we didn’t huggy huggy.. didn’t need to do that. it wasn’t thought of.. and noone had to say keep your hands to yourself.. we just inherently knew it… all this hugging and quick accidental grabs.. we know what’s up .. and it ain’t just friendly.. that’s just stupid to try to spin it that way.. but then again these kids have probably already had babies or aborted them .. it’s a down right shame.. but let’s keep letting the kids run this frigging country.. I say kick their a##es.. hard.
Report Post »Jaycen
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:58amHello, Hog-person, stop talking now.
Anyway, this is clearly an idiotic rule. Teachers can decide when a public display of affection has gone too far. A brief hug being punished is an example of a Principal on an ego-trip.
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 8:07amHOGTRASHHD………
Did you wear a chastity belt, too?
No wonder you ride a Harley. When do you start to let your stubble grow so as to get ‘the look’ before going on a weekend ride? Gotta have that look, right?
I know, I know….Harleys best, ‘F’ the rest.
Bet you display your HOG prominently in front of the bar. As the late Andy Rooney would say….“you ever wonder why”?
Is it true that Harleys pass everything but bars?
You display the same mentality here that I see out on the road with Harley riders. You even piss off other motorcyclists with your “loud pipes save lives” mentality, not to mention auto drivers who have no clue to the joys of riding bikes.
Oh, and don’t bother waving, self-righteous Harley ********. You only piss me off as to how stupid you are to spend that much money just to look like every other Harley rider with no individuality.
Report Post »RoqueGerig
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 8:44amI live in of all places Bolivia, a lot to be said, I know, but here we teachers hug the students and the students hug each other without any concern. I ride a BMW.
Report Post »Biminy
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:40pm@Decendentof56…..
Whoa there Skippy!!! How about you hit the brakes on your Prius or what ever other totally high priced POS hybrid that you drive (talk about someone who spent way to much money!! I bet it’s a Chevy Volt!!). Is it true that you can’t pass a tree without hugging it??? Where the hell do you get off making those comments about all Harley riders? Or are you one of the stupid rice rocket riders who likes to ride down the road at 80MPH on 1 wheel? I bet you proudly display your hybrid at Starbucks while getting your extra-grande, no-fat, Espresso Macchiato.
You display the same mentality here that I see out on the road with all the other hybrid drivers. You pretty much piss off everybody with your “Obama for 2012” mentality, except maybe for all the other tie-dye wearing, hybrid driving, tree hugging, Obama supporting morons out there.
If you want to disparage someone’s comment on the subject at hand, then by all means, do so. But don’t slam someone on something that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic. That’s not very nice. I am 99.9% sure that if you were standing face to face with HogTrashHD you won’t be talking that way. Oh, BTW, I too also ride a Harley. In fact I own 3 of them and my wife rides too. I also own 2 businesses and employ 17 people. What does riding a Harley have to do with any of that or the price of tea in China?? Idiot…. Just sayin’…
Oh….R.I.P Andy Rooney….
Report Post »Biminy
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:01pmWhoops… I made the same mistake as Decendent. I just slammed a whole bunch of people on something that had nothing to do with the subject at hand. No, not all hybrid drivers are Obama-bots. I actually have a hybrid too. Just trying to make a point. My apologies to all Harley, rice rocket and hybrid drivers out there in the world. I just didn’t appreciate someone slamming people on something that had nothing to do with the topic.
Maybe if people engaged their brains before speaking…Just sayin’. ON the topic at hand….
25 years ago when I was in school, kids held hands, hugged and even stole a kiss here and there and the world did NOT come to an end. It’s just really sad what the world and America have become since I was in school. We have lost our morals, our principals and have become a…. I don’t know what we have become. Did kids get in trouble back then, get pregnant, die? Yes they did. No more or less than they do now. IMO if more people worried about and put more energy into their communities than what the rest of the country/world was doing, things might just be a little different now. Maybe if more parents were more involved in what their kids learn and actually BE more involved with their kids lives and stop letting game consoles, Hollylewd, reality TV and DC run public schools (bring educational power back to the States) teach them I think kids wouldn’t be as mentally dumbed down. They would actually know how to critically think much less think at a
Report Post »Bluebonnet
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 4:41pmThis reminds me of the old saying, “When they outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns.”
Report Post »Everyone tries to outlaw everything under the sun and let the other really horrid crap get a pass.
Bluebonnet
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 4:53pm@BIMINY: Glad you clarified that. Believe me, I don‘t drive a hybrid because I’m a tree hugger. I drive one because I’m cheap (so my son tells me). I like getting double or more gas mileage and want gas to drop back down to 27 cents a gallon (ha, that’ll be the day) Drill baby, drill.
Report Post »ICANHANDLETHETRUTH
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:11amI wonder if that school celebrates gay and transgender day ???? LMAO some people are so STUPID you could’nt even slap it out of them !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »AmeriCat
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:53amWhich is more stupid?
The policy…..or the enforcement of the policy by the Principal?
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:04amDang if I know. Both are too stupid to be believed.
Report Post »Eleutheria
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:10amRules are rules but if they were the same gender, nobody would have said a word.
Report Post »dr_funk
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:52amNo, rules are not just rules. Dumb rules should be broken at every opportunity so as to motivate the administrators to cease enforcing it or get rid of it altogether.
What stupidity.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:53amI am… Not a ROBOT!
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 10:38amGood point.If it were two yong men , they would have been made homecoming king & queen and then we would see a movie on their remarkable lives on lifetime network.
Report Post »Welcome Black Carter
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 5:58pmYou never know. I would have thought being black would have given them a pass… Here we are.
Report Post »How long ‘tll Jesse or Quanel X jumps on this?
TiredinAZ
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:09amI implore all of you who have posted opposing the actions of the principal and school to reconsider. I applaud the principal for doing the right thing! We sit back and watch the anarchist OWS crowd and wonder how they got this way? It’s because they have been taught, like many of you, to ignore rules you don’t like. It starts with the small ones and grows and grows until they no longer feel compelled to obey ANY rule they disagree with…like Obama and the Constitution.
Report Post »The problem here is NOT the principal. The problem is a school board that is so micro-managing that they wrote a STUPID rule. What makes it a stupid rule? It is written with no room for judgement on the part of those entrusted with enforcing it! If you can’t trust the judgement of your administrators…you need new administrators, not more constraining rules.
How do you fix a bad rule? NOT by ignoring it! That teaches disrespect for rules, government and authority in general. That’s how you make a liberal. The correct way is to get involved with the school and its governing board and CHANGE THE RULE! Don’t expect “Executive Orders” telling the enforcement agent not to enforce the rule. That’s how you end up with guns going to Mexico…THINK what your teaching!
The principal had no choice, so he did the correct thing. The students broke the rule and must face the consequences to maintain order. The parents need to turn off the TV and go to the school board meetings and change the stup
TiredinAZ
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:15amSorry, ran out of room…and change the stupid rule!
Report Post »TumbleBumble
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:26amWell, I agree with you TIREDINAZ as far as not blaming the principal. But I also don’t think this is necessarily a bad rule.
I may be an ancient (in my 40′s) but none of us kids greeted each other with hugs, not through my teen years (unless it was my boyfriend). I hung out with both boys and girls from little on and it just wasn’t the norm.
I know times have changed, but I also see that most of these hugs are done stiffly and not genuine. There is no reason. It’s not a gesture of kindness but rather a cool thing to do.
Report Post »TiredinAZ
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:45am@ TUMBLEBUMBLE I don’t necessarily think it is a bad rule either and I am more ancient than yourself. My point mainly being, be an involved parent. Read the student handbook with your child and make certain they understand the rules BEFORE they get in trouble. Then teach them that if they knowingly break a rule, they are going to take their lumps. If you see things in the handbook or school you don’t like, show your child the proper way to get things changed using the structure that is in place.
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:10amFlorida is a beautiful state but it is becoming more like Cuba everyday. Lighten up people it was a hug. A hug, not someone shot.
Report Post »mitchbarr
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 9:19amThank you sooo much TIREDINAZ. You are correct.
Report Post »circleDwagons
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:55pmyes!! read the handbook with your kids. and then let them more their own choices. in college we read the handbook and then proceded to break most of them :) dry campus yup
Report Post »Nova2395
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:08amOnce again, a Florida school has proven to be a disgrace to the country. GET YOUR WHOLE @#$% TOGETHER. No hugging, kissing or holding hands. You don’t distinguish between unwanted or mutual. Seriously Florida, they weren’t @#$%^&) in the hallway. They were hugging for crying out loud. I mean sure there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed with the affection, i mean no one really wants to see them make out or have sex. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that the parents and teachers who approved this policy are either completely retarded and part of a teachers union, that would explain it, or they were high and just decided not to care that day. Either way, this is one policy that needs to be revisited and gone over with a fine tooth comb and there needs to be clear distinctions of where you draw the line and what is acceptable. And the administrator who enforces this policy to the letter needs to go home and take a look in the mirror and realize that he dent need to be working with kids anymore because he obviously hates them. STOP IT B!!!!!!!!
Report Post »netmail
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:01amInnocent hug…one day suspension. Oral sex on the bus…two days suspension. Wow, they really DO have their priorities straight. I’d HATE to be a kid now.
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:34amYeah. It encourages them to skip the hug and move straight for the oral sex. Extra day out of school. Yay!
Report Post »thekuligs
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:00amWe the people lost our ability to use common sense years ago. I remember my highschool having some odd rules that were more distracting than the actual offenses. I ditest groups of people who hide behind their rules as an excuse for being power hungry and not having to make real decisions.
Report Post »Mr.ManZ
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:46pmOh yes I get your train of thought now guys, Lets see if the school is going to teach our children all about sex and safe sex then why should they have rules that keep them apart instead of having them humping one another legs or whatever? OMG dumbing down on total stupidity really isn’t just for democrats.
Report Post »netmail
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:07amIf a so called “hug” is overtly sexual then it’s not a hug. Are you a frustrated virgin Mr.??
Report Post »Mr.ManZ
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:43pmawww just because it happen to a black kid !!! WTFE. This policy has been around for years now and you guys wait until now to gripe about it????? either you people are as old as dirt or you are totally out of date and moronic. I for one dont give a rats ass if it is a black kid or purple kid, the rules are the rules if you can’t deal with get out of it !!
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:41amYou people. Old as dirt. Totally out of date and moronic. Well, don’t you want to tell us we eat dirt, marry our cousins and keep our fam animals just a little too happy while you’re at it. Drink a Margarita or something you need to relax.
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:52amFarm animals. Not fam animals.
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:57amJust so you know. Kids are kids. What makes you think we care about color? They embarrassed and shamed a couple of kids that did nothing wrong.
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:36amHis name is Martnez. Not that it matters but since you brought it up, how many black kids do you know named Martinez?
Report Post »scoter
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:40pmhttp://www.helpfireobama.com Please give $20.12
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:29pmThe school teaches the kids ALL ABOUT SEX,,,But NO Hugging…Go figure!!!
Report Post »babylonvi
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:11amYou forgot no G-d and no common sense.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:28pmWe are a society of lawsuits. Get your toaster manual out, or the one for the coffee maker; It will be 10-15 pages long. there will be 1 or 2 pages on the operation, the rest of it is do‘s and don’ts like “do not plug in while standing in water.” these are the result of lawsuits.
the same can be said for the rules in schools; lawsuits or the fear of lawsuits. this is how government grows. then WE WAKE UP and say how can this be?
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:02amWell I looked and it didn’t say not to use while sitting in water. So, I was making my toast in the bathtub and I got the shock of my life. I plan to sue : )
Report Post »Dougral Supports Israel
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:23pmI’m glad I graduated school almost 40 years ago. The rules were more flexible then and the principal had the final word on suspensions. Nobody would have even looked twice at a simple hug. Kids were allowed to be kids and misbehavior was assessed by teachers and principals before punishment was levied. Now, the rules are carved in stone with absolutely zero tolerance if one is broken. It sounds more like a policy you’d find in a prison rather than a school.
Report Post »Stoic one
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:30pmYes and corporal punishment would be meted out by the principal as well, and the parents back the proper use…
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:34pmZero tolerance .. because the administrations have zero brains .. they get off easy .. no decisions really needed .. just follow the book .. they are really overpaid gestapo.
TEA!
Report Post »phillipwgirard
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:18pmEVERYDAY things just get worse and worse………….
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:26pmJust dumb, dumber and dumbest………….there is no common sense anymore……..especially in the education system!! Talk about aliens………maybe some of those UFO’s landed in school yards!!
Report Post »garyM
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:18pmHey Obama hugged the leader of Turkey today!
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:35pmDID They KiSS???
Report Post »CatB
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:35pmWas his “bow” broken?
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:33amNo. He’s saving that for France.
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:18pmwho really cares???
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:44amDo you have any children? Do you plan to have any? Then you should care.
Report Post »JLGunner
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 10:36amI do and I don’t.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:17pmZero Tolerance = Zero Brians! What are Zombies doing running the Schools?
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:17amDon’t know. Ask the zombies running our government.
Report Post »garyM
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:16pmI’m sure if they had been the same sex nothing would have been said, didn’t we have a story on the Blaze not long ago about two kids of the same sex kissing in a school play, see the point?
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:15pmThis is insane. So what if they hugged? Maybe the district should concentrate on more serious problems. I could see if they were making out, but a hug? Really? Everyone needs a hug sometimes. As long as there wasn‘t fondling of sort what’s the big deal?
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 12:31amI agree. Hugs are great. What the heck is wrong with a hug? This world is upside down.
Report Post »phillipwgirard
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:15pmThis is completely absurd. i have no words other than, WHAT THE HE11 IS WRONG WITH AFFECTION?
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:24amNothing. They don’t want kids to have affection. They want them to have affectations. See Gary M ‘s comment. He nailed it.
Report Post »groundzero
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:13pmI live in Pennsylvania and we have had the NO Hug law for aleast 5 years!!!!
Report Post »Mimi24
Posted on November 5, 2011 at 1:29amI can‘t tell if you’re proud or disgusted by that.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on November 4, 2011 at 11:12pmI am so glad I moved away from Orlando, I might have to go Principal hunting and hug some sense into him.
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