Student Protest School's "No-Touching" Policy

By Alex in Baby & Kids, Politics on Mar 28, 2009 at 2:08 pm

Patrick Abbazia attends his class bound in blue duct tape. He’s not doing it just to be weird – instead, he’s protesting a strange policy of the East Shore Middle School in Milford Connecticut: a "no-touching’ policy that bans physical contact between students!

"Going down the halls it is so cramped that it is hard not to touch anyone," Amanda Bollano said. "But if it is accidental, they won’t do anything. If it is intentional, you might get detention."

Patrick Abbazia said that he and his friends like to give each other "knuckles" and to high-five, and that to ban those actions — when fighting is the problem — doesn’t seem right.

"My mom says it’s not good for a person to go all day without touching,” the eighth-grader said.

Link

(Photo: B.K. Angeletti / Connecticut Post)

Tags: Patrick Abbazia, policy, protest, school

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Carl
Mar 28th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
I'm generally in support of his protest however I'd much rather see a "FREE HUGS" sign in his hands. It's an uphill battle to prove people are wrong. It's somewhat easier to show how their momentary beliefs are wrong.

I super-strongly encourage anyone in this situation to hold a "hug day" at their schools. Every time classes change periods, everyone hugs their way through the halls.

If you want to fight the system you can't convince them they're wrong. You have to convince them that what they're fighting against is right.
SenorMysterioso
Mar 28th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
If there were a rule banning all physical contact it would be stupid but I just read the article and that is not the case. The school sent out a letter in response to fighting in the halls. The kid misinterpreted the letter. School officials even said that the two things he specifies, high fives and handshakes, are not banned.

I have nothing to back it up but I think this schools policy is probably the same as any other where they allow hugs, handshakes, hand holding etc. and ban things like making out, pushing and fighting.

Another non story IMO
“Smart-A$$ teen has poor reading comprehension” probably isnt as good of a headline I guess
Kalel
Mar 28th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Touchy subject.
Wok
Mar 28th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Feels like somebody's going to have to get in touch with the administration. Contact somebody.
sadtomato
Mar 28th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
I'd like to see what the letter said. I wonder if the family really did misinterpret it or if it was a stupid idea that the admin changed their minds about.
ted
Mar 29th, 2009 at 8:35 am
"He is using his freedom as an American citizen to protest," he said. "Those are the kind of people who get ahead in the world..."

Get ahead, or giving it? Dude looks like he's showing an early interest in bondage.
D Bozko
Mar 29th, 2009 at 10:14 am
I agree with sadtomato and would like to actually read the letter that was sent home.
Senor Myesterioso, the school official actually said that things like high fives and handshakes are not "unilaterally" banned which means they are banned in some form. I would also point out that pushing and fighting are not in the same category as touching.
The principal also said the letter went out after two incidents where a young man was kicked in the groin. How did they go from a kick in the groin to banning touching? A kick like that is assault, not touching. Not all touching on a school campus is appropriate but schools have a tendency to go to the extreme where a zero tolerance policy ends up with a ten year old suspended for bringing his GI Joe to school because Joe has a one inch toy gun with him. Can't schools deal with behavior on an individual basis instead of a ridiculous blanket policy?
GailW
Mar 29th, 2009 at 6:47 pm
This is retarded: the policy, not the protest.
Brose
Mar 31st, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Why does the school think they need this policy? Don't they see how narrow minded this is and profound? This is only going to cause them more problems in the long run.

Maybe they just want attention and they are getting it. Disciple starts at home, so the parents are just as much at fault as the kids. If the kids were properly disciplined from the get go, they wouldn't be having all these problems.

ANYWAY, stop the stupidness and get on with real agenda's that will make a real change in how society deals with issue's.
esmsbabe
Mar 31st, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Okay, so i go to eastshore and i am on of pats good friends. It was so funny to see him walking around with blue duck tape wrapped around him. I was with him 100% on that one. The new rule is so stupid, we can't even hug, high-five, or tap on someones shoulder to get their attention. No touching what so ever. We will get a detention if we do. There talking about canceling our feild trip to ellis island and our dinner dance, which is like prom for 8th graders. It makes me so mad!

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