Weird School Bans
Schools have rules to protect students and foster a positive learning environment. Some are strange and controversial – like the ban on bagged lunches recently imposed by one Chicago-area school. Here's a lineup of school bans that have grabbed headlines and begged the question: Have schools gone too far?Bag lunch ban
The war on childhood obesity has landed in the lunchroom. A school in the Chicago area banned students from bringing bag lunches, claiming they contain unhealthy food.
School bans meep
Inspired by a Muppet students at a high school in Massachusetts started using the word "meep." The school principal felt that the word disrupted school, so it was banned. What was the school district's response to one cheeky email?Watch another inspiring meeper
Breast cancer awareness bracelets ban
A new marketing campaign for breast cancer awareness has a slogan that some deem offensive, so some school districts have banned bracelets and T-shirts emblazoned with the catch phrase.First Amendment violation?
Tag game ban
Recess has become a dangerous time for some kids. School officials are concerned with the safety of students when playing contact sports like tag and dodge ball so the games have been banned in several schools.
Cartwheel ban
A school in Australia has banned cartwheels and handstands during recess, citing student safety issues. Parents protested, and school officials vowed to find a balance between students' recreation and safety.
Leggings, skinny jeans ban
Some school districts have added leggings and skinny jeans to their lists of banned clothing. Officials think they're too tight; many students disagree.See photos of celebrities who inspired the fashion trend
Lip balm ban
A North Carolina school district's ban on lip balm has rubbed some parents the wrong way. Officials claimed their goal was to prevent the spread of germs.How to make your own lip balm
Dictionary ban
Complaints from parents over sexually explicit definitions caused a school in California to ban dictionaries from elementary school classrooms.Buy an age-appropriate dictionary
Silly Bandz ban
Silly Bandz are all the rage with American youth. Now they are contraband in some schools. The plastic bracelets were ruled a distraction to students, and they have been banned in many schools.Buy Silly Bandz
Hugging ban
Students must embrace a no-hugging policy at schools in several states. Hugs have been ruled a distraction, the cause of tardiness and even a bizarre form of hazing.Hugging etiquette
Red ink ban
Teachers in some British schools have been banned from using red ink to correct students' work. Other less-offensive colors are deemed more acceptable when it comes to calling out corrections with a positive approach.Read about studies on the effects of red ink grading
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