Parents have to opt-in to allow their student to be disciplined that way
A Missouri school district has brought back corporal punishment to use as a “last resort” disciplinary action for students.
Cassville R-IV School District, located in southwest Missouri, issued the policy that allows certified individuals to “use physical force as a method of correcting student behavior” and in order to maintain “discipline and order in schools.” The term “corporal punishment” is defined as “physical punishment” or “punishment that involves hitting someone” by Merriam-Webster’s dictionary.
The policy was issued in June ahead of this school year, according to the Missouri School Boards’ Association Board Policy Manual, which is available online. Cassville Superintendent Dr. Merlyn Johnson told local news outlet KY3 that the policy was put into place after a districtwide survey went out to staff, students, and parents in May.
He further explained Cassville is a small town and a “very traditional community in southwest Missouri,” and added that parents have been the ones trying to bring this type of punishment back into schools. “One of the suggestions that came out was concerns about student discipline,” Johnson continued. “So we reacted by implementing several different strategies, corporal punishment being one of them.”
Missouri isn’t the only one. A reported 19 U.S. states allow staff to corporal punishment in schools, including Alabama, Arizona Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming.
According to the policy, corporal punishment can only be used if “all other alternative means of discipline have failed” and only “upon the recommendation of the principal.” Using corporal punishment as a form of discipline “should never be inflicted in the presence of other students,” the policy states, and must be given to a student “in the presence of a witness who is also an employee.”
The policy does state that there has to be a report submitted to the superintendent “explaining the reason” for using this discipline but no clear indication of what the requirements will be for certifying individuals.
Johnson did note that the new policy is not something the district “anticipates using frequently,” citing the “opt-in only option” for parents to decide for their child.
“Anyone who disagrees with corporal punishment,” he said, “they simply do nothing by not opting in.”
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