Patch Story Sparks National Debate Regarding Child Safety

A story which Patch broke last week regarding a controversial ball ban at Weber Middle School in Port Washington has sparked a national debate regarding child safety.

The airwaves and social media began to light up with activity Tuesday as the national media began to pick up on the story published Oct. 4 on Patch.

Making national news headlines, the Weber Middle School ball, tag and unsupervised cartwheel ban has since became a popular topic on morning talk shows such as The View, Today and Fox & Friends, to name a few.

The Port Washington school board, weary from the barrage the intense media scrutiny, addressed the Weber issue Tuesday at a regularly scheduled meeting.

School officials originally blamed the middle school crackdown on schoolyard games and sports equipment on safety concerns.

After avoiding comment last week, Schools Superintendent Kathleen Mooney announced Tuesday that the ball ban was "temporary."

Here's some of the headlines regarding the national debate surrounding Weber Middle School:

CNN Live: CNN Bans Balls During Recess Due To Safety Concerns
The Five: New York School Bans Balls, Tag During Recess
NBC News: School Bans Balls During Recess
CNN: School Bans Balls During Recess Due to Safety Concerns
Fox & Friends: School Cracks Down on Balls and Cartwheels? 
TIME: Long Island School to Students: Stop Playing With Your Balls
Huffington Post: Long Island Middle School Bans Balls To Protect From Injuries
Newsday: Weber Middle School Recess Ball Ban Sparks National Reaction
NY Mag: Long Island Middle School Bans Everything Fun
CNN International: School Bans Most Balls During Recess: Smart Move or Going Too Far?
LA Times: No Balls at Recess, Kids Might Get Hurt! No Crazy Cartwheels Either!