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Folsom Elementary School Bans Tag After Altercations

FOLSOM (CBS13) - Parents in Folsom unhappy tonight over a new school policy banning the game of tag on the playground. The principal at Gold Ridge Elementary School sent out a message on Friday telling parents about new changes coming to the school.

"I don't really like it," said Gold Ridge fourth grader Mallory Giddens. "I mean I don't really play tag but I don't think it's fair to everyone else that plays tag!"

It's an age old game and a childhood tradition played over generations. But Gold Ridge Elementary is now cracking down on students playing tag on the school playground.

"I don't personally agree with it," said Sam Hammer, who has two children attending Gold Ridge. "It's something we all did as kids and I never seen any harm come from it."

School Principal David Frankel sent out a message on Friday saying quote: "Students were instructed that physical contact including tag games, touch football, etc. were not allowed on the yard."

"My principal, he doesn't want us to have tag at school because people, they touch too hard," Gibbens said. "Sometimes they push people over and my principal doesn't want anyone getting hurt."

CBS13 reached out to Folsom Cordova Unified School District and Spokesperson Daniel Thigpen said the note was only sent to a handful of parents after altercations and injuries within a group of students.

Thigpen also told CBS 13: "In this case, kids were getting too rough...so the school told them to stop playing those games...It's not uncommon for a school to enact specific recess rules to address specific behavior problems."

"I know that it's based probably kid by kid," said mom of four Katie Esteves.

She said she doesn't worry about her kids playing tag but understands the principal's efforts to cut down on fighting.

"It's really up to him what he probably feels is best for his school," she said. "As long as it's being monitored and people are being safe, then I feel it's okay."

If a student breaks the new rule, they'll receive a warning, then a referral and then a parent-teacher conference. The school district does not have a policy on playing tag. Instead, they let the schools decide what works on their own campuses.

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