Nick Martinez, Florida Middle School Student, Suspended For Hugging Best Friend

When Nick Martinez, a 14-year-old student at Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay, Fla. hugged his female best friend in between classes, he thought nothing of it. His principal did, however, and escorted both students to the dean's office where they each received one-day in-school suspensions, WKMG reported.

The school has a strict, zero-tolerance policy on public displays of affection -- and hugging, even platonically, is against the rules.

Martinez told the station that he didn't know he was doing anything wrong.

"Honestly, I didn't know because I didn't think hugging was a bad thing," he told WKMG. "I didn't know you could get suspended for it."

Christine Davis, a spokesperson for the Brevard County School, told FOX News that the school's policy is meant to prevent wasting time on grey area situations.

"... We cannot discriminate or make an opinion on what is an appropriate hug, what's not an appropriate hug. What you may think is appropriate, another person may view as inappropriate."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/04/nick-martinez-student-suspended-for-hugging_n_1076894.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

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more zero-tolerance stupidity in our schools.

I am male and taught kindergarten music for a few years. Hugging you was a natural thing (and sometimes the kids didnt care where they grabbed you - ouch!). How awful to not let children express emotion. What a cold, cold school.

appropriate or not.

So freakin' stupid.

That should be the only thing schools should have "zero tolerance" for. They should be exercising good judgement in all others. This is just an extension of our corporate culture creating good little unquestioning, obedient, drones.

and then there will be no problems
and that includes teachers and principals

"We shall abolish the orgasm. Our neurologists are at work upon it now."

"There will be no loyalty, except loyalty towards the Party. There will be no love, except the love of Big Brother. There will be no laughter, except the laugh of triumph over a defeated enemy. There will be no art, no literature, no science. When we are omnipotent there will be no need of science. There will be no distinction between beauty and ugliness. There will be no curiosity, no enjoyment of the process of life. All competing pleasures will be destroyed. But always — do not forget this Winston — always there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler. Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless. If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever."

-Nineteen Eighty Four

It causes congestion in our crowded school.

Interacting with each other verbally and or with eye contact, is only permitted in the classroom while being instructed by a teacher, or while breaking for lunch and seated in the areas designated as "interaction areas," by the school district and the GAB, grey area board. Sarcasm Alert! Give the kids a break already Florida.
Lou

please continue with your normal daily business.

If you spend anytime trying to police an anti friendly hugging you've wasted time. So total mission failure there.