Mass. grade school bans tag, other chase games
‘Accidents can happen,’ principal says to mixed reviews by parents
NBC video |
Schools banning tag on playground Oct. 19: It was once a staple on school playgrounds, but, now, the game tag is being banned in a handful of public schools. MSNBC |
Video: Education |
Teen drives car through crowded field May 8: A 17-year-old Massachusetts teen is being charged with reckless driving and assault after driving a car through a crowded athletic field. WHDH-TV's Victoria Warren reports. |
Stand and be counted |
What keeps you up at night? Gut Check America wants you to tell us what really matters to our country. Click here to learn more and get involved. |
Most popular |
| |||||
ATTLEBORO, Mass. - Tag, you're out!
Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they'll get hurt and hold the school liable.
Recess is "a time when accidents can happen," said Willett Elementary School Principal Gaylene Heppe, who approved the ban.
While there is no districtwide ban on contact sports during recess, local rules have been cropping up. Several school administrators around Attleboro, a city of about 45,000 residents, took aim at dodgeball a few years ago, saying it was exclusionary and dangerous. Modified versions now include softer balls and ways for children to re-enter the action.
Elementary schools in Cheyenne, Wyo., and Spokane, Wash., also recently banned tag during recess. A suburban Charleston, S.C., school outlawed all unsupervised contact sports.
Click for related content |
"I think that it's unfortunate that kids' lives are micromanaged and there are social skills they'll never develop on their own," said Debbie Laferriere, who has two children at Willett, about 40 miles south of Boston. "Playing tag is just part of being a kid."
Another Willett parent, Celeste D'Elia, said her son feels safer because of the rule. "I've witnessed enough near collisions," she said.
| Rate this story | Low | High |
MORE FROM EDUCATION |
| Add Education headlines to your news reader: |
Sponsored links
Resource guide






