The game of “tag” has been played by generations of school children, but several weeks ago Gold Ridge Elementary in Folsom was forced to institute a ban on the game. The story was quickly picked up by national television outlet Fox News, garnering some serious air time and adding fuel to the controversy.

The decision by the school has also met with mixed reviews from parents, students and the public. Gold Ridge is part of the Folsom Cordova Unified School District (FCUSD) and the somewhat isolated event involved a particular group of students behaving too rough to be considered safe.

“Earlier this month, students at Gold Ridge Elementary in Folsom were playing ‘tag’ and other physical games at recess, and school staff members felt there was too much pushing, shoving, fighting and kids getting hurt – issues that continued to create challenges when the students returned to the classroom, interfering with learning time,” responded FCUSD spokesperson Daniel Thigpen. “In response, the principal (David Frankel) told students to stop playing ‘tag’ and touch football during recess. School administrators routinely place rules on activities like recess to address specific behavior problems.”

According to Thigpen, Folsom Cordova Unified School District Director of Communications and Community Engagement, the issues were not limited to the playground. The disruptive behavior also found its way into the classroom. “Teachers were concerned that it was becoming more difficult to get students focused, settled down, and ready to learn,” he said.

Thigpen was quick to point out that there is no district-wide ban on the game of “tag,” adding that students at other FCUSD schools, such as Peter J. Shields play rugby. “The principal subsequently e-mailed four parents that their children had received warnings for playing too rough during recess, a message that was later posted to social media.”

The “tag” ban, at this time, is not permanent. The only other on-campus game that is currently banned is touch football. “The action at Gold Ridge Elementary has no impact on other Folsom Cordova schools, and there is no ban on the game of ‘tag’ in our school district,” Thigpen concluded.