A Missouri School District Reinstated Spanking And Received Widespread Parent Approval
The Cassville school district in Barry County, Missouri– which is home to one thousand and nine hundred students– recently reinstated a divisive disciplinary measure that went out of practice in 2001.
In June, the school board approved a policy to allow corporal punishment– or spanking– throughout the district.
Parents of students were recently notified of the decision and will be given the opportunity to opt-in or out of the repercussion.
The Supreme Court ruled that corporal punishment was legal back in 1977 and, since then, has left the decision to practice it up to each state.
And as of 2022, Missouri is just one of the nineteen states where spanking is still allowed. Neighboring states such as Kentucky, Kansas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee also allow the punishment.
But, while nationwide opinions on corporal punishment vary widely, the Cassville school district superintendent Meryl Johnson explained how the Barry County community is “very traditional.”
Moreover, parents had apparently expressed growing frustration that corporal punishment was no longer allowed within their schools.
“Parents have said ‘why can’t you paddle my student?’ and we’re like ‘We can’t paddle your student, our policy does not support that,'” Johnson recalled in an interview with Springfield News-Leader.
And after parents, school employees, and students alike filled out an anonymous survey earlier this year underscoring that student behavior and disciplinary issues were at an all-time high, Johnson and the school board brainstormed numerous ideas before officially deciding to reinstate corporal punishment.
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According to the school board’s policy, corporal punishment– which is defined as “the use of physical force as a method of correcting student behavior– will only be used “when all other alternative means of discipline have failed.”
The punishment, which can only consist of “swatting the buttocks with a paddle,” will also only be turned to after receiving permission from parents. Additionally, it must be administered by certified personnel at the recommendation of the principal and in the presence of a district employee witness.
“It should never be inflicted in the presence of other students,” the school board added.
And shockingly, since news of the policy reversal has circulated throughout the district, Johnson actually cited being thanked by parents. “We have had people actually thank us for it. Surprisingly, those on social media would probably be appalled to hear us say these things, but the majority of people that I’ve run into have been supportive,” he explained.
Now, Johnson hopes that the mere existence of such a disciplinary measure will be enough to deter students from acting out in school.
“We understand it is a bit of a shock factor. So, if there is one kid or a few kids out there that know there might be a different type of discipline, it might change their behavior,” he said.
The school board is also hopeful that this disciplinary action will help keep students in the classroom instead of turning to suspension after behavioral incidents. To learn more about the Cassville school district’s latest reinstatement of corporal punishment, you can visit its policy manual linked here.
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