Cursing, curtailed

South Albany High School’s campaign to, in effect, scrub with soap the mouths of students who cuss in the halls has spawned more publicity than we’d have guessed.

South Albany’s principal, we’re confident in claiming, isn’t the first school official to notice that teenagers’ language is not always pristine.

But even though we’re a trifle amused by the attention South Albany’s cursing crackdown has gotten, we’re more pleased.

Baker High School’s student handbook includes a section about profanity. It reads, in part: “Students who use profanity will be subject to disciplinary action and may be suspended. Any use of profanity toward a staff member will not be tolerated and will result in suspension.”

That’s a good policy, and one that BHS officials ought to remind students about. (And a good practice for adults, too.)

Although we’ll concede that a two-minute spot on the evening TV news probably would be more influential.