Indiana school that gave 5th graders two days to break up apologizes for dating policy
Teachers at an elementary school in Indiana banned dating for 5th grade students to prevent broken hearts, media outlets report.
They gave the children two days to end their relationships, WVTM reported.
In a letter to parents, teachers at Riverside Elementary School in Jeffersonville in southern Indiana wrote that breakups had spilled into the classroom, and the new no-dating policy was intended to “combat students having broken hearts,” WVTM reported.
“We are encouraging strong friendships. Students can still play together at recess, be in groups during classroom activities and many other situations,” teachers told parents in the letter, WVTM reported. “We are truly just attempting to lessen the amount of broken hearts.”
The letter and new policy upset some parents and students at the school.
Aiden, a 10-year-old student in the class with a girlfriend, said teachers told the students about the new policy just before recess, according to WAVE.
“It was right before recess,” Aiden told WAVE. “A lot of my friends went out and told their boyfriends and girlfriends that they had to break up, and that made them sad and I didn’t understand why.”
Briana Bower said her son came home after school furious about the policy, according to a Facebook post.
“The school has no right to pressure my child & put a DEADLINE on when he ‘has to’ end his relationship,” Bower wrote in a Facebook post. “That’s MY child & I will not enforce this new rule of theirs. As long as he’s not holding her hand or whatever at school it’s none of their business who he calls his girlfriend.”
After pushback, the school district released a statement that said the letter wasn’t reviewed by the principal or district officials, The Courier-Journal reported.
The statement seemed to walk back the zero-dating policy, and a spokesperson confirmed the district is no longer “forcing students to end relationships,” WDRB reported.
“This situation is an example of how the word choice took away from the intended positive, proactive approach to protect the social, emotional, and academic learning of the school day,” the school district said in the statement, according to The Courier-Journal. “Our teachers would just like for parents to have conversations about staying focused on academics at school and maintaining healthy friendships.”
This story was originally published September 27, 2019 at 1:59 PM with the headline "Indiana school that gave 5th graders two days to break up apologizes for dating policy."