Texas school board changes spanking rules

The Springtown, T.X., school board voted unanimously Monday to remove the district's gender specific paddling rule. / CBS

(CBS News) A north Texas school board voted Monday to change its corporal punishment policy to allow district employees to paddle students of the opposite sex, CBS DFW reported.

The Springtown Independent School District had previously allowed gender-specific paddling of students, meaning female administrators were permitted to paddle girls and male administrators could spank boys.

On Monday, the parents of two teenaged students claimed the policy had been violated. Dena Jorgensen said her daughter suffered "welts, blisters and bruises" when she was paddled by a male school administrator.

Superintendent Mike Kelley acknowledged male employees were paddling female students and apologized for the violation. Following the complaints, the school board voted unanimously to remove the gender-specific rule.

Kelley told CBSNews.com in an e-mail that the employees responsible for applying corporal punishment at the high school are male, while a female assistant principle is currently responsible for carrying out such discipline at the middle school. He said continuing the gender-specific policy would mean that only parents of male high school students and female middle school students would be able to request corporal punishment.

Kelley said the new policy requires parents to provide a written request that corporate punishment be utilized. The new rule also limits such parental requests to one per semester.

"Prior policy did not include limitations," Kelley wrote. "What's not being reported is that our new policy is actually more restrictive than the old policy."

Parents of students who violate the Student Code of Conduct may request that corporal punishment be used in lieu of in-school suspension or after school detention, if they believe it's in the best interest of their child, Kelley said. But he added that there is no rule requiring corporal punishment.

Deborah Sendek, Program Director of the Center for Effective Discipline, said she was disappointed in the overall policy that permits corporal punishment, but that the rule allowing opposite-sex paddling was "disturbing."

"Instead of remedying the situation, what they did was backtrack," said Sendek, whose organization provides educational information to the public on the effects of corporal punishment and alternatives to its use.

According to Sendek, 19 states in the U.S. allow corporal punishment in schools, though some states use it more than others.

"It really does take a lot of time and energy and a lot of real thinking-through to make a consequence that is a teaching consequence," she said, adding that consequences should be aimed at helping students learn and be more productive.

"We think there are much more efficient ways and effective ways to work with kids in terms of discipline problems," Sendek said.

[SharonSC]

Of COURSE this is Texas. What a pack of backwards yahoos they all are. And the men are pigs. Just disgusting pigs, every last one of them. What educated, respectable person would have anything to do with anyone from Texas? Ugh.

[Camille_F]

If we must have corporal punishment, why must it be on the bottom? I was smacked on the palms of my hands with a ferule as a child in school. Certainly a deterrent, but not sexual harassment.

[CarrolU]

It should be illegal to do anything to a child in school that would be illegal outside of school. Assault is assault. AND if a child is hit in school... it should be totally okay for him or her to defend themselves up to and including using like force against the offender.

[debbiedb_dotmac]

Using violence as a discipline measure to teach young people how to act in this world is very disturbing.

[SofiaMog]

I think the real question of the policy on Texas paddling is where exactly do we draw the line ? Are young students suffering bruises and punishment from faculty members for offenses as meager as being late, chewing gum, or speaking in a sarcastic tone ? As young people we make mistakes and to be slapped across the ass for every roll of the eyes is, in my opinion, absurd. One must also consider the message this sends to young adolescent men that if a woman gets out of line, give her a swat and she'll straighten up. Not to mention if these male superiors get a kick out of spanking little girls...

http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2012/09/school-in-texas-now-allows-teachers-to-paddle-children-of-opposite-sex-parents-pass-off-parenting-to-teachers/

[wmdmia]

So in Texas parents and school officials can assault children. Sounds like Texas. I am thinking that this why Texas is such a violent state. Soon these children who have been assaulted by authorities will be allowed to carry lots of guns. Good idea Texans.

[omnibus66]

Why don't we just give Texas back to Mexico? There seems to be almost nothing about that state that is not totally out of whack.

[john92021]

he teacher, leave them kids alone.

[byrdh5n1]

Oh so eloquently expressed. Texas graduate, eh?.......

[john92021]

pink floyd, recent Sandusky anthem.

[obicera1]

How about instead of the kid getting whacked the kid's parents get smacked around a bit in front of the class? Maybe if the teacher or administrator is incompetent they get the .. beat out of them too. No, lets beat on those weaker kids, who don't have any means to defend themselves because if they did they'd get into more trouble. We live in a sick society and "don't teach critical thinking" Texas leads the way.

[Former_Marine_Sgt]

I love it! 'When you get in trouble for not following the rules - just change the rules!!!'.... How freaking pathetic are these Texans anyway? First the Bush's, 'anti-science' is science in classroom text books, then ol' smiling Rick Perry and now this?