By Anthony Cody.
The shocking video of an African American high school girl being violently grabbed and slammed to the ground has been seen and shared millions of times over the past few days. Most are sickened by what we see. This incident is sparking a much needed discussion over the use of police to respond to disciplinary issues within a school. Police tend to use force, and students they deal with become criminalized, setting patterns that continue into adulthood.
Unarmed school safety officers can be far more effective, as I saw in my 18 years in the classroom in Oakland. At our middle school of about a thousand students, we had a small team of safety officers, led for many years by Mr. Obee. Mr. Obee was respectful of students, and had a calm and steady presence in the halls. I never saw him or other safety officers initiate the use of force at our school.
There is a related issue that has smoldered under the surface for decades. While all fifty states have laws against intentional cruelty to animals, in 19 states it is legal to paddle students for misbehavior. Recent attention has been drawn to the fact that African American and disabled students are more likely to be suspended or expelled – and this pattern is seen in the use of corporal punishment as well. This report from Sarah Carr shows that African American students are physically punished at higher rates. Disabled students are likewise more likely to be beaten or restrained, and this can cause lasting harm.
The US Supreme Court, in a 1977 decision called Ingraham V Wright, upheld the constitutionality of corporal punishment for school children. This decision was used as the basis to dismiss a 2014 lawsuit brought by a Mississippi student who fainted and fell while being paddled, suffering a broken jaw.
A Tennessee parent, George Worley, has been speaking out on this issue. He wrote to me:
I’ve been trying to be a voice for children’s rights almost daily for 7 1/2 years! I can’t focus on much else because I care about kids. Handcuffed kids is just the tip of the iceberg! The National Disability Rights Network published a report in 2009, “School is Not Supposed to Hurt” telling of horrific incidents of children restrained – even smothered to death at school.
My 3 children attended schools in an unresponsive paddling district (Houston Co. Schools) Erin, TN and overheard classmates being paddled in hall just outside class then immediately faced humiliation as they returned to their seat. Our grandson will start kindergarten in a couple of years and we don’t want him hit or traumatized by school employees. We have asked our local school board to prohibit corporal punishment three times since 2008 and they ignore us because state law allows corporal punishment without parental consent. Most school districts around us banned corporal punishment decades ago and it is prohibited in Nashville Metro Public Schools.
This documentary, The Board of Education, reveals the disturbing facts around this officially sanctioned abuse.
The entire 32 minute film can be viewed here.
Action on this issue in Congress has been thwarted in the past by politicians like John Kline, who view this as federal overreach, and believe states ought to be allowed to set policy in this area. According to this report by ProPublica, two organizations, the American Association of School Administrators and the National School Boards Association both opposed legislation to halt corporal punishment introduced by Tom Harkin back in 2012.
In his 1995 book, “Profiles in Character,” Jeb Bush suggested that if more children were paddled in school there would be fewer school shootings. Florida, where Bush was governor, is one of the 19 states that allows paddling.
While many schools ask parents to sign forms giving them permission to paddle their children, this is sometimes ignored, and children are paddled anyway, as in this Florida case. The parent in this case was left with no recourse as Florida law protects principals and teachers from lawsuits over such abuse.
This map, created by ProPublica, shows the policies in place in states around the nation.
This month Congresswoman Judy Chu introduced the Children’s Bill of Rights which features 22 principles meant to protect children. Chu said,
The Children’s Bill of Rights solidifies our commitment to all of the children in our nation. It gives a comprehensive framework that ensures children are free of abuse and neglect, have quality education and a healthy environment.
Congressman Alcee Hastings of Florida introduced a bill last May called HR 2268, Ending Corporal Punishment in Schools Act of 2015. The bill would remove federal education funds from states that continue to allow corporal punishment. If you support such legislation, please contact your representative here. and encourage organizations such as the National School Boards Association and the American Association of School Administrators to support it as well.
While the Spring Valley High school incident has rightly focused attention on the use of police on school campuses, we should also take this opportunity to address other forms of violence routinely inflicted on children.
What do you think? Is it time to get rid of corporal punishment?
howardat58
Way past time.
Doctor Zest
I first taught in Ohio…as a high school biology teacher. The shop teacher at the pre-school meeting announced that all of us new teachers could have our paddles made by his shop boys because he had the “specs.” ? Yes, he had shop students making their own paddles basically with “Board of Education” burnt into it with woodburning tools. When I naively said, ‘Specs?’ he laughed and said woefully that some teachers had abused ‘the privilege’ and the state had to put out specs – new ones each year – as teachers found their way around the guidelines. Paddle could only be 30″ long. Then, had to be at least 5″ wide. Then could have only 10 holes. Then the holes could only be 1/4″ wide. Then they had to control the taper. Then they had to eliminate hardwoods. etc. Each year teachers felt deprived they couldn’t wail away at will. Made me sick. But I was NOT prepared for the principal recruiting me as a witness…because another rule passed was that paddlers had to have a witness to prevent people losing control and going berserk on a kid as the adrenaline and anger flowed. (Oh, and they then had to limit it to three whacks also – I forgot that part.) Anyway, Mr. Hooker, a principal from Tennessee showed up at my room during my prep period regularly and would say, “Mistuh Jones, if you would do me the honuhs of witnessin.'” and I had to stand and watch this violence perpetrated on young lads. Ladies got lesser punishments like writing something 500 times or staying after school. [Does anyone mention that paddling is heavily gender-biased???]. After three times, I begged off witnessing as it made me sick to my stomach. Principal took great pride in his work. Said he had learned to pause after the first two whacks to let the numbness wear off and to build the anticipation (fear) of the third whack. Said, with a smile, “It’s all in the wrist, Mistuh Jones.”
When my son was eight, his principal in Dayton, Ohio, called and said she was going to paddle my son the next day. “No, you are not,” I said. She said, “Well one of three boys put a paper clip in a light switch to turn off the lights as a joke and got the clip caught in the switch. “What happened?” I asked. “Well, nothing,” she said, “but something COULD have happened and I do not know which one did it. They all deny it.” “So,let me get this right,” I said, “three boys went into the bathroom, someone put a paperclip in a switch but nothing happened, but you don’t know who did it so you going to paddle all three boys?” “Yes, what else can I do?” “So, I gave her three or four suggestions.” She said, “WHO are you?” “I am an educational psychologist.” “Oh, well I am still going to paddle your son.” “I will make your life a living hell, Lady. I have NEVER paddled my son and do you really think in your wildest imagination that I am going to let someone beat my kid with a club who doesn’t even know him or even if he is guilty, DESPITE having three other options that work better and are a hell of a lot more humane?”
She didn’t paddle him.
MORE PARENTS NEED TO SPEAK UP!
Protect your children, parents…that is why they have you.
ljb
Thank you for pointing to this issue. It’s hard for me to believe this is still going on in our schools. It does suggest, to me, one reason why some people have a deep hatred of teachers that comes out in public debates — if their teachers hit them as depicted in the video. No wonder we don’t get any respect!
PRR
I can’t help it. I feel empathy for the teacher (and principal!) who asked her repeatedly to put it away. Maybe they are horrible people. But the disrespect we experience, sometimes on a daily basis, is very challenging. Yes, we must be better.
Floridians Against Corporal Punishment In Public Schools
Thank you Mr. Cody (and thanks to the Washington Post last week) for the attention to this modern American tragedy that is still playing itself out in our nations (mostly Southern) public schools. It is outrageous that this is still going on in 21st century America, that we have no federal laws protecting school students, and because of an almost 40 year old Supreme court ruling that left this violence up to individual states. Thankfully 31 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and all overseas American schools have banned this, but the other 19 states (which embarrass our nation) have yet to do so. We have been addressing this violence in our public schools in Florida for some time now where the abuse is rampant in backward schools such as Holmes County Florida, Suwannee High school, Fl, Union County High and so many more. We have made progress though and last year 4 school districts outlawed hitting young human beings with wooden boards. We have confronted school boards, Superintendents, Principals, parents and hostile communities that want to keep their “culture of violence” alive and cling to the redneck traditions. As a young educator myself I absolutely refused to ever hit or even witness these rituals of assault, These educators (I use the term loosely because criminal would be a better term) could not work in any other profession in these United States and do what they do without being arrested and incarcerated for assault and battery. Given what we know of the harm this has caused how any responsible parent can ever endorse this especially against a sexually developed high school teenager is mind boggling. Each and every school day that a young person is assaulted by an adult a new “Victim of Violence” is created. How many victims have to be created or come forward before this violence in America’s public schools is finally ended? J McNulty ,,,’Floridians Against Corporal Punishment in Public Schools (facebook.com/Stoppaddling)
Sean
The sad fact in all of this is that it shouldn’t ever come down to the teachers or principals having to dish out corporal punishment. If more parents would take active roles in the lives of their children, these things wouldn’t be happening. What use did this girl have for a smartphone anyway. Oh, I know, “Your children must be miserable not having all the latest gizmos and gadgets! For shame!!” My 3 boys know more about science, nature, outdoors, etc… than probably 80% of the children in this country. I sent my boys outside one day to play because it was a beautiful day outside. They asked if they could use my tools to build something (YES, I taught my boys how to use power tools). When they got done, several hours later, I was truly amazed at the fort they had built using fallen branches and smaller trees that had been cut down. They learned ingenuity and craftsmanship because they had to. I wouldn’t allow them electronic devices except on the weekends and rainy days, but they utterly enjoy it. Now, granted, my kids are not all the other kids and each kid is different, but they all have the same thing in common: a genuine curiosity! If parents would be active in the lives of their children, this curiosity can be shaped to help the child become something so much greater than what these electronic devices of today make them into. Children today are deviant, sly foxes who know how to hide everything from their parents. I’ve seen it in several families I know, including my brother’s family, and I’m only 35 years old! I readily admit that I may not have the experience of many who read this article or have made comments on this page, but some circumstances catapult experience levels higher than others. My work in the local juvenile center (counselling and preaching the Word of God) to youth boys has shown me things that I would never have known about and it has shown me the difference between children with active parents and children with parents who think they are active because they give them things to occupy them. Too many parents give their kids smartphones and tablets and video games because they think the kid will love them for it. But that is the problem, isn’t it? The kids love the parents, not because the parental love given, but because of the worldly possessions they are given. Take away the possessions of the child and watch the monster you have created come raging out. My boys love me and their mother because they know we care for them and love them because our actions show it. We don’t buy them things to earn their love. We show them love and they give in return. Do I say that corporal punishment needs to end in schools? Absolutely! But only because it isn’t right for a parent to put the onus of disciplining their child on the teachers that have to deal with them.
And FYI, I discipline my children. And it has been an honor to my wife and I when we received compliments from random people at restaurants and such as to how well behaved our children were. So many times I can recall people asking us how we had such well behaved children and I would always respond that we instilled character into them using biblical discipline. You can never be angry when you discipline a child because children can sense that and you will not do it right according to God’s word. I have had to put off discipline at times until I calmed down and could do it right, but never do it in anger or frustration because the affect is not the same. Children need their parents!! The government cannot raise a child because every child is different and needs a different kind of love that only individually parents can give. You want to help the children today? Show them the love that they need, even if that love is sometimes tough!
john
corporal punishment should be banned