Texas sheriff says ‘no’ to hugs

TEXAS — Don’t expect a hug from a Texas sheriff anytime soon.

If you aren’t a family member or close friend, Nueces County Sheriff Jim Kaelin will greet you with a hand shake or knuckle bump, he wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday.

He wrote that his hugging days are over and announced the change of his greeting style on his social media account.

Kaelin, a Republican who was elected sheriff in 2006, wrote about how the workplace can become hostile if an employee feels threatened by a hug. More: Read the NBC News memo on firing Matt Lauer over ‘inappropriate sexual behavior’

“Sad, but you just don’t know when this hug might come back and bite you,” the post reads. “It might offend you that I will no longer participate in hugging you, but I have decided to discontinue receiving/giving hugs from anyone outside of my family and close friends. I hope you understand.”

The sheriff made the post the same day NBC’s Today show announced it had fired host Matt Lauer for “inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace.”

Kaelin’s post was flooded with different responses, from those who agreed with him, to those who disagreed, to those poking fun at the matter. He responded to some comments, saying he felt his decision is for the better.

“Change is taking place and I believe a public official should keep it professional,” he wrote.

(usatoday)