Stupidity In Virginia Academics

No lie. A 13-year-old kid gets detention for hugging his girlfriend in the school cafeteria:

Kilmer Middle School in Vienna, Virginia, is hardly situated in a remote part of the country. Close to the CIA headquarters at Langley, it is only a short drive from Washington DC. But Kilmer's head teacher, Deborah Hernandez, stood accused of being out of touch, literally and scholastically, today after imposing a total ban on physical contact between her 1,100 pupils. Hugs, cuddles and handshakes are especially taboo.

Ms Hernandez's no-holds-allowed prohibition came to light after a 13-year-old seventh-grader, Hal Beaulieu, slipped his arm round his girlfriend's shoulder during a lunchtime break. The girlfriend did not object. But a sharp-eyed school security officer caught Hal in the act. The next thing he knew, he was arraigned in the school office, charged with two misdemeanors and facing detention or even suspension.

Hal accepted a reprimand but remains defiant: hugs are not a crime, he says. "I think hugging is a good thing," he told the Washington Post. "I put my arm around her. It was like for 15 seconds. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

Hal's parents, Donna and Henri, agree. They have written to the Fairfax County school board, demanding a review of the ban.

Ok, I'm all for kids using gangs signs in school getting their comeuppance, but since when has a hug ever been interpreted as a gang symbol? The kids parents should not only sue, but Ms. Hernandez and the school board should be removed.