Students at Kilmer Middle School have to be very careful about how they interact with their peers. Even giving each other a high five can land them in the principal's office.
"You get into shades of gray," Kilmer Principal Deborah Hernandez said. "The kids say, 'If he can high-five, then I can do this.' "
Hernandez said the no-touching rule is meant to ensure that students are comfortable and that crowded hallways and lunchrooms stay safe. She said school officials are allowed to use their judgment in enforcing the rule. Typically, only repeat offenders are reprimanded.
This rule may sound tough but isn't such a bad idea. Everyone needs a hug every now and then, but it's hard for teachers and administrators to keep everything on the up and up. In the old days, teachers and students thought nothing of giving each other a hug or a squeeze on the shoulder. However, my high school had a bunch of students packed into a building, and I remember getting some pencil jabs and other unwelcomed touches as I hurried to class. I do think that some of the bullies did this on purpose.
Enforcing the rules is a much tougher issue. Students thought nothing of pushing and shoving each other in the middle school where I taught. Some would even attempt to jump on and go piggy back riding down the halls. With so much activity, it was hard to keep the kids in line. If infractions of the rules were reported, the students seldom received more than a verbal reprimand. The no touch policy is only as good as the administrators willing to enforce it.