Spanking is allowed in Texas public schools???

[Kitty]

Well then. I didn't know it was still legal here in NC. It was never an option when I was in school.

It's banned in many counties, including the one I grew up in. IIRC there's actually only a few that do allow it, and even fewer that actually use it. At least one county has gotten rid of it in recent years.

Edit: it was Burke county that got rid of it this summer.

[FrauGringa]

When I saw this news story, I thought of FreeJinger. :shock: I thought about posting it, but alas I have a measly post count. Unfortunately, I can't say I am particularly shocked that corporal punishment is still permitted in some public schools. I went to public school in Texas and recall a boy getting paddled by a (male) vice principal in the 8th grade (2001). He had taken an upskirt photo of a girl and his mother had given the school permission to paddle him. The normal punishment for getting into trouble was ISS or detention. That was the only paddling incident I heard of back in my day, though I tended to be a "goody-goody," so there could have been even more going on than I was aware of. Nowadays, I have no idea if that district still allows corporal punishment or not. I am vaguely familiar with Springtown, the city in the news article. It is on the outskirts of Fort Worth (which is in and of itself pretty conservative) and I would consider it "country." Make of that what you will...

Anecdote over, resume your usual activity.

[DistantStar]

They had it in my day in public school in Texas -- I left in 1992. In middle school I was once outside the vice principal's office while a kid I knew got paddled. He came out grinning -- ahh, testosterone in the young male. It was either that or detention (d-hall, we called it) so that's what he chose. I can't blame him given the (vile) choice; a sore behind vs several days of boring detention. Seems to defeat the purpose more than a little. I can't think of any incidents where girls were paddled but I was a social outcast during most of those years so may not have heard about it.

Oh Texas. Why must you make me embarassed for my connections back to you?

[DarkAnts]

I do question the mothers motives to make this national news. She gave permission for her daughter to be spanked. She made a bad choice and her daughter paid for it. If I was in her shoes, I would not have gone to the national media about this. I would be embarrassed and disappointed in myself for letting my judgment laps. I would fight hard against the school district changing their policy. But, I would not go public. It seems to me that she wants her 15 min of fame.

I do not agree with spanking a child. This teen knew what she was asking for. All teens know that spankings hurt. They may decided that its just easier or faster to take it then to do the time in detention or ISS. Teens are smart.

[Koala]

I do question the mothers motives to make this national news. She gave permission for her daughter to be spanked. She made a bad choice and her daughter paid for it. If I was in her shoes, I would not have gone to the national media about this. I would be embarrassed and disappointed in myself for letting my judgment laps. I would fight hard against the school district changing their policy. But, I would not go public. It seems to me that she wants her 15 min of fame.

I do not agree with spanking a child. This teen knew what she was asking for. All teens know that spankings hurt. They may decided that its just easier or faster to take it then to do the time in detention or ISS. Teens are smart.

There is no telling what the girl was thinking. She's 14...her brain isn't done cooking yet.

The mother? She knew. I hold her just as responsible as I hold the bastard that did this. What the fuck kind of mother allows some motherfucker to beat her child with a wooden board? What the fuck kind of society does that? I am telling you people, we are not as far along as we think we are. A society that allows this kind of shit still has a long way to go.

[rock_girl]

I suppose spanking in school does contribute to the economy. Just think how many pro-dommes and leather shops might be out of business were it not for these selfless educators.

[debrand]

I was spanked once in school. In the first grade, I accidentally wondered into the wrong class. At the time, I was new to the school. The teacher explained to me where my class was and told me that where my class was. When I entered the class room, my teacher called me to the front of the class and paddled me for being tardy. Even as a six year old, you feel injustice. I did not tell my mom because I assumed she would agree with the teacher.

When I was in middle school there was a vice principal who seemed to really enjoy spanking kids. He was also very flirty with some of the girls. Once I caught him motioning another male teacher over to look at a girl's bottom. I know that was what they were doing. There were rules against wearing gymn shorts so short. Plus the girl was not in gymn and she was in the all during class. I had an excuse, she did not. Both the male teacher and the vice principal leered at the girl in a very creepy manner.

The same school got in trouble for spanking a girl so hard that it left bruises on her bottom. Her parents sued and LOST. This was in either the eighties or nineties, I think.

[mpheels]

It's banned in many counties, including the one I grew up in. IIRC there's actually only a few that do allow it, and even fewer that actually use it. At least one county has gotten rid of it in recent years.

Edit: it was Burke county that got rid of it this summer.

Plus most of the counties that still use it required parental permission long before state law required it. Not that it makes spanking less awful. I've always thought of teachers as one of the few safety nets for catching child abuse, so it really doesn't sit well with me that teachers/administrators are asking potentially abusive parents for permission to continue that abuse at school.

My mother taught in NC for 20 years, then spent 10 more as a school administrator. Even during her early teaching years when corporal punishment was more common and accepted, she never spanked a student or sent one to the office for corporal punishment. She once told me about a classmate being spanked in front of class back in the 1950's, and how awful it was to watch, and she could never subject a person to that kind of physical and emotional pain.

[fencesitter]

I graduated in Texas in 07 and our school had it. The same policy that Chowder head mentioned about number of swats and all that. At the start of the year every parent had to return a note with the options of a) no swats b) that the school needed to call for permission or c) swats whenever the school thought it was necessary. I do remember that at some point in high school it was suspended because there was a case over it under review by the Texas Supreme Court. I do not remember the outcome 100% but I think that it is still allowed but many schools discontinued it because of the legal risk. I am pretty sure my old school never resumed swats. Oh, and of course the kids picked swats when faced with the choice of ISS or detention. It was considered a much tougher sentence if you weren't given the option of swats.

Same thing in our schools. I think they only allowed it in Jr High and older. I remember a lot of people requesting swats because ISS meant they had to sit out of extra-cirricular activities. A teacher couldn't just give swats- generally they got sent to the principal and were given the option. Out of curiosity, is the bigger problem the fact that school does it or the fact that the parents allow it?

[thoughtful]

Plus most of the counties that still use it required parental permission long before state law required it. Not that it makes spanking less awful. I've always thought of teachers as one of the few safety nets for catching child abuse, so it really doesn't sit well with me that teachers/administrators are asking potentially abusive parents for permission to continue that abuse at school.

I agree.

Spanking is such useless violence -- I just don't understand the rationale behind continuing to do it.

[Koala]

Out of curiosity, is the bigger problem the fact that school does it or the fact that the parents allow it?

The big problem is that our society allows it. The big problem is that a child should be able to go to school and learn with out fear of someone picking up a wooden board and repeatedly hitting them with it. The BIG problem is a parent that would consent to their child being hit by a wooden board repeatedly. It's ALL a problem.

[BoomerLynn]

I cannot believe this crap is still happening in 2012. It is not ok to hit anyone (especially a child!) with a wooden board. If one student did the same thing to another student they would be in major trouble, but it's totally ok if a teacher does it to a student? I agree with mpheels. If a child is being abused at home, and knows that the option is there for a teacher to paddle him/her, who exactly is this child supposed to turn to for help? Instead of the child's teacher being someone the child could potentially trust and confide in, the teacher (school admins., etc.) now becomes yet another person that child has to fear. It's disgusting.

[Koala]

If one student did the same thing to another student they would be in major trouble, but it's totally ok if a teacher does it to a student?

That is an excellent point. If a student did this to another child you can bet your ass there would be charges filed.

If an adult did this to another adult there would be charges filed and the sentence would almost certainly involve jail time.

But an adult hitting a kid? A-okay. :angry-cussingblack: The way our society views this is so assbackwards it's not even funny. When that judge that beat his daughter walked away scott free I knew we were all turned around on right and wrong.

[debrand]

One of my pet peeves is listening to adults claim that children were better behaved when we were young. This is NOT true. Many of my friends tried drugs or had sex. We were just more sneaky about it.

Some people equate respect with fear. The two are not the same.

[JaChelle Sugar]

I was spanked once in school. In the first grade, I accidentally wondered into the wrong class. At the time, I was new to the school. The teacher explained to me where my class was and told me that where my class was. When I entered the class room, my teacher called me to the front of the class and paddled me for being tardy. Even as a six year old, you feel injustice. I did not tell my mom because I assumed she would agree with the teacher.

When I was in middle school there was a vice principal who seemed to really enjoy spanking kids. He was also very flirty with some of the girls. Once I caught him motioning another male teacher over to look at a girl's bottom. I know that was what they were doing. There were rules against wearing gymn shorts so short. Plus the girl was not in gymn and she was in the all during class. I had an excuse, she did not. Both the male teacher and the vice principal leered at the girl in a very creepy manner.

The same school got in trouble for spanking a girl so hard that it left bruises on her bottom. Her parents sued and LOST. This was in either the eighties or nineties, I think.

That is discusting.

[debrand]

That is discusting.

I agree. Also, I meant to say that the girl was in the HALL during class. I have no idea what that h went to.

[infooverload]

This whole thread reminds me of a story my brother told me recently. When he was in kindergarten in 78 in Washington he was spanked. While sad on one hand he actually laughs at the story. The reason he turned to the teacher and said umm "my mom gives better spankings maybe she could teach you." Needless to say my brother got in trouble twice, but my mom double thought about how she doled out punishment. I remember she never could paddle me because I would start screaming bloody murder at the pure mention. I have a son and avoid spanking him for several reasons. The best reason being it doesn't work and he like me is smart and will run or start screaming. At this point a time out works better and I don't feel like crap for doing it. Plus he then knows to come out and learn from his mistake. All spanking do is teach kids, my parents say don't hit then hit me. Hyprocrisy at it's finest in my book.

[Trynn]

When I was considering options for high school, I looked into going to a baptist school. I was both shocked and horrified that spanking was on the list of possible punishments. The procedure was that a parent would be called in to administer the spanking. I was like, what? When I showed my parents that, they just said, "Well, don't do anything to get spanked. Besides, it's probably more for the younger kids, I doubt they'd spank a high schooler."

Ugh. The stupid. It just.... I chose not to go to that school. Not for that reason, exactly, but that was part of it.

[Chowder Head]

I have been only spanked once in school. 1st grade for not bring my homework. The teacher actually cried. It upset her more.

[polabear]

In the 80s, the school district I was in allowed spanking. (This was south of Colorado Springs.) I only remember one kid getting spanked, on a regular basis and I remember being so upset about it. I wonder what happened to him - he was labelled the "bad kid" in first grade. I don't even remember what he would do that would lead to spanking.

[JesusFightClub]

In state schools I went to there was no corporal punishment permitted. In the religious (private) school I attended for 2 years, there was, if your parents wrote a letter in to say you could be spanked. It was with a slipper and I only knew one girl whose parents had written saying she could be (and she never was).

However there was plenty of "non-official" abuse. We'll put it that way.

[FrauGringa]

Update on the original story (link not broken as it is a major news site):

http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/09/25 ... ni_popular

Note this in particular...

Superintendent Michael Kelley asked the board to consider changing the policy because not all schools have enough female administrators to perform the task. He acknowledged, however, that the two recent paddlings were contrary to the policy in place at that time, and for that he apologized to the girls and their families.

So...the problem isn't that paddling is still allowed in the school district, but that there may not be enough female administrators to paddle any girls that got in trouble? Ugh. Way to take a step backwards. Also, I would not recommend looking at the comments on the article or the results of the survey unless you are a glutton for punishment.

Final thoughts...

[tropaka]

Oy, I'm in Ontario and in '79/80 I got a paddling with the "helping hand" (wooden hand - didn't hurt, but was done in front of the class) for throwing snowballs at a teacher. I think by the time I hit high school in '85 corporal punishment was long gone. My ex was in his Mom's kindergarten class (small community) and distinctly remembers her smacking his hand with a ruler in school where she never hit him at home. She also had him clean a hallway with a toothbrush along with another kid (they'd thrown their dirty boots in the hall or something).

The weak paddling that I got was way less effective than being made to write lines or being pulled out of class to sit with the principal for 15 mins.

I cannot believe this is still legal ANYWHERE in the western world.