This is the justification I found on Edutopia:
Today’s students are an affectionate bunch, throwing their arms around each other with a casualness and frequency that has some school officials worried. Concerned with marathon hugging sessions that clog hallways, cause tardiness, and also raise administrators’ fears about sexual-harassment suits, some schools have set time limits on hugs (such as a three-second rule), while others have banned them altogether. Students have balked, arguing that such rules are unreasonable and infringe on their personal rights.
This article opens by saying:
The hugs were out of control at West Sylvan Middle School.
Students could not pass each other in the hallway without a hug, the principal said. The girls were hugging one another all the time. Kids were late to class because of the hugs.
There was some discussion of this in my daughter’s middle school. The girls were just hugging and hugging and not settling down for class, I guess. I don’t think there was a ban, but they did try to set some limits so that their education was not disrupted.
It sounds ridiculous when you just say, “let’s ban hugging.” But when you understand the behavior leading to it, it makes more sense. Sure, hugging is wonderful and kids these days probably don’t get enough touch, and it’s probably this teen-age bonding thing, especially with girls. I doubt if boys engage in these hug-ins in the hallways. Unless it’s with girls.
It’s interesting that it’s all over the country. I doubt if there’s anything planned about it, and it would be interesting to know if there’s anything that started it—like a TV show.