FILE:  JDA

 

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

 

 

The Acadia Parish School Board shall allow reasonable corporal punishment of unruly pupils.  If such punishment is required, it shall be administered with extreme care, tact and caution, and then only by the principal, assistant principal, or the principal's designated representative in the presence of another adult school employee.  At no time shall corporal punishment be administered in the presence of another student. All school personnel and parents shall be fully informed of these provisions at the beginning of each school year.

 

The following guidelines shall apply to any use of corporal punishment:

 

  1. Except for those acts of misconduct which are extremely anti-social or disruptive in nature, corporal punishment should never be used unless the student is informed beforehand that specific misbehavior could occasion its use; and, subject to this exception, it should never be used as a first line of punishment.  Its use should follow specific failures of other corrective measures to effect student behavior modifi­cation.
               

  2. The principal or the designee shall punish corporally only in the presence of a second school employee, who should be informed beforehand of the reasons for the punishment.
     

  3. In cases where a student protests innocence of the offense or ignorance of the rule, a brief but adequate opportunity shall be provided for the student to explain his/her side of the situation.
     

  4. School principals, assistant principals or appropriate designees who have adminis­tered corporal punishment shall provide the child's parents or legal guardians, upon request, a written explanation of the reasons and the name of the school employee who was present as a witness.  In any case, complete documentation of each incident of corporal punishment shall be made including name of student, time, date and details of violation, the form of discipline administered, the names of the person administering the punishment and the witness, each of whom shall sign the documentation upon completion.
     

  5. Corporal punishment shall be administered in the office of the principal, assistant principal or in such place or places as may be designated by the principal.
     

  6. Utmost care, tact and judgment shall be exercised, and all cases of corporal punishment shall be documented by both the person administering the punishment and the witness and kept on file in the principal's office.
     

  7. The use of corporal punishment shall at all times be reasonable and proper.  Considerations in this regard shall include but not be limited to the following:

 

    1. Age of child;

    2. Size of child;

    3. Sex of child;

    4. Ability to bear the punishment; and

    5. Overall physical condition of the child.

 

  1. Corporal punishment shall not be administered in anger or with malice at any time.  
               

  2. Corporal punishment shall be administered by paddling the buttocks only.

 

Nothing contained herein shall be interpreted as prohibiting an employee from using physical force, reasonable and appropriate under the circumstances, in defending himself/herself against a physical attack by a student or to restrain a student from attacking another student or employee, or to prevent acts of misconduct which are so anti-social or disruptive in nature as to shock the conscience.

 

IMPERMISSIBLE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

 

Corporal punishment administered other than as outlined hereinabove shall be deemed and defined to be impermissible corporal punishment.  Any accusations involving employees using impermissible corporal punishment shall be promptly investigated.

 

 

Ref:     U.S. Constitution, Amend. XIII

U.S. Constitution, Amend. XIV, Sec. 1

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81.6, 17:223, 17:416, 17:416.1

Ingraham v. Wright, 97 S. Ct. 1401, (1977)

Baker v. Owen, 96 S. Ct. 210 affirming 395 F. Supp. 294 (M.D.N.C., 1975)

 

Acadia Parish School Board