Parents of girl disciplined for hugging settle dispute

MASCOUTAH, Ill. -- Officials of Mascoutah School District 19 and a local family have resolved their dispute over two hugs that led to detention for a 13-year-old and a nationwide debate over school discipline.

Melissa and Dean Coulter met with superintendent Sam McGowen and assistant superintendent Terry Gibbons to discuss the two detentions their daughter, Megan, served for hugging her friends goodbye for the weekend.

"Our whole purpose of the meeting was to get them to talk to us and discuss what changes needed to be made" and if the policy could be improved, Dean Coulter said. "We scheduled it because we figured it was the right thing to do."

Megan Coulter, an eighth-grader, served two days of detention at Mascoutah Middle School for violating a policy banning public displays of affection when she hugged two friends.

Her parents told her to serve the detentions to avoid getting into more trouble, and planned to take the issue before the board of education at its meeting Thursday. McGowen released a statement Monday saying the Coulters had withdrawn their request to speak at the meeting, and decided instead to meet with administrators.

"I'm grateful they sought this meeting and we could have a level of discussion that helps us both understand each other's concerns more clearly," McGowen stated.

He said he and Gibbons met with the Coulters on Friday and discussed the policy that led to the detentions.

"We told them that we reviewed it on an annual basis and that's where we left it," he said.

Coulter said McGowen was receptive during the meeting, and that the family is satisfied with the district's promise to at least look into revising the policy.

"I just feel like we've accomplished what we wanted to accomplish, and that was for them to talk to us," he said.

Coulter also said his family never intended the situation to get personal or to cause damage to the Mascoutah community.