Who's Up for a Game of Point Football?

Jesse Walker | June 18, 2007

The Washington Post describes a Virginia public school's no-touching policy:

Fairfax County middle school student Hal Beaulieu hopped up from his lunch table one day a few months ago, sat next to his girlfriend and slipped his arm around her shoulder. That landed him a trip to the school office.

Among his crimes: hugging.

All touching -- not only fighting or inappropriate touching -- is against the rules at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna. Hand-holding, handshakes and high-fives? Banned. The rule has been conveyed to students this way: "NO PHYSICAL CONTACT!!!!!"

Then there's this sentence, which has an irresistible Dragnet-meets-1984 quality:

A school security officer spotted the hug and sent Hal to the office, where he was cited for two infractions.

Snitching: my anti-hug.