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Corpun file 25600 at www.corpun.com
12newsnow.com (12 News KBMT and KJAC), Beaumont, Texas, 10 September 2014
7th grade student spanked at school
By Rebeca Trejo
ReporterNEWTON - The Newton School District allows corporal punishment to be used as a disciplinary technique.
But one football mom tells 12News she wasn't expecting her son to come home with welts and a bruise.
She says her son was at football practice last Thursday at Newton Middle School when coaches took out the paddle.
Annmarie Riza couldn't believe her eyes when her son Austin came home with a bruise on his right leg.
"Nothing like this has ever happened to my kid before," said Riza.
She says her son had to use the restroom, so he ran across the gym in cleats.
When coaches found out, they punished him.
"One of the coaches pulled him aside and told him he was going to get popped," she said.
Corporal punishment is next to last in the student code of conduct's discipline techniques.
It also says "district employees will consider a variety of factors when administering disciplinary consequences."
Some of those factors include the effect of the misconduct and the age of the student.
Riza says she consented to the spanking.
"He begged me to do the corporal punishment because the coaches didn't like the idea of them not being able to spank them because they can't take time out of practice to make them flip tires or run laps," said Riza
In response to the incident, the superintendent tells 12News:
"An ongoing investigation is underway and appropriate action is being taken in regards to the incident. The school district cannot discuss details pertaining to the incident due to the family educational rights and privacy act."
Riza says what they did to her son disgusts her.
"If I was to do that, I would get in trouble," she said. "If I was to do that to any other kid, I would be in jail."
The mom tells us because she's complained about the incident, coaches have threatened to kick her son off the team.
But all her son wants to do is play football.
The 7th grader's mom told the district this week she doesn't consent to corporal punishment anymore.
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Two-minute news segment from local TV station 12newsnow (KBMT-TV), Beaumont, Texas, 11 Sep 2014, of which the above report is a text version. The mother is interviewed.
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Corpun file 25601 at www.corpun.com
Longview News-Journal, Texas, 15 September 2014
East Texas schools use corporal punishment as last resort
By Bridget Ortigo
Gladewater ISD led Gregg County school districts in the number of corporal punishments administered in the 2013-14 school year, but the district's discipline referrals have subsequently dropped over the last three years.
The district administered 382 "licks," or spankings, throughout last year while the area's largest school district, Longview ISD, handed out about 150 disciplines in the form of corporal punishment for the same year.
The state's total corporal punishment incidents accounted for about 1 percent of the total student population, or about 51,000 students, in the 2005-06 school year, which are the most recent numbers available from the U.S. Department of Education.
Corporal punishment incidents have steadily declined every year since the late 1970s. In 1976, more than 1.5 billion students received some form of corporal punishment while the number dropped to about 223 million.
Currently, 31 states in the U.S. have banned the use of corporal punishments in schools, while 19 still allow the discipline technique. Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi are a few southern states that still allow spankings.
Gladewater ISD had a total of 2,231 discipline referrals last year for all campuses combined, compared to 4,105 discipline referrals in the 2011-12 school year.
"Many of our parents support the use of corporal punishment," Gladewater ISD Superintendent J.P. Richardson said. "It is one of the last discipline management techniques we choose to utilize. If the parents opt out, the district will follow their requests."
The district is converting to a new software system and was unable to say how many parents signed a form before school started last year to opt out of corporal punishment.
Of those 382 incidents of corporal punishment used last year, 289 were for male students and 93 were for female students.
Longview ISD Assistant Superintendent Jody Clements said corporal punishment accounted for about 5 percent of disciplinary actions last year. Clements did not provide a total number of discipline referrals.
The district did not have a number of how many parents opted out of corporal punishment for their child but said "most campuses report very few opt out of this method."
"From experience for 26 years of education, I can say that corporal punishment is a deterrent for some students and is not for others," Clements said in a statement.
Hallsville ISD had 2,567 parents sign a waiver allowing the school to discipline their child by using corporal punishment in 2013-14 while almost an equal number -- 2,460 -- opted out.
The district handed out three such punishments during the last school year and had a total of 4,676 discipline referrals for all campuses.
"Any school district's discipline management plan includes options that reflect the community's philosophy regarding discipline," district spokeswoman Carol Greer said in a statement. "For those parents who believe that option is appropriate for their child, it remains in policy."
Pine Tree ISD handed out 109 spankings last year while issuing 8,778 referrals for all grades combined. These referrals included any conferences with parents.
Spring Hill ISD allows corporal punishment only at the primary level. [NOTE BY C.F.: This was no longer true for 2014-15. According to several local sources, paddling was extensively used at Spring Hill High School.] The district did not have spankings handed out for the 2013-14 school year. The district did not provide a number of discipline referrals for last year.
"The only campus to use corporal punishment is Spring Hill Primary School and then, only if the parent insists," Superintendent Rick Flanagan said in a statement.
Kilgore ISD officials did not respond to requests for information regarding the district's policies on corporal punishment or the number of referrals and spankings handed out during the last school year.
White Oak ISD used a form of corporal punishment 12 times during the 2013-14 school year for discipline and had a districtwide total of 165 discipline referrals.
Superintendent Michael Gilbert said 376 parents opted out of corporal punishment for the 2014-15 school year.
"The district wants to keep all options available to redirect inappropriate behavior," Gilbert said. "Corporal punishment is one of the tools we use very sparingly. We feel there are times, situations and age appropriate considerations that can make this discipline method effective."
Sabine ISD Superintendent Stacey Bryce said while the district allows corporal punishment, it serves as just one form of discipline.
"Parents only sign papers (to opt out) if they do not want corporal punishment for their child," Bryce said. "Less than 10 percent districtwide said they did not want corporal punishment used on their child."
Sabine ISD used corporal punishment 78 times last year and had a total of 402 discipline referrals.
Tatum ISD spokesman Drennon Fite said the district used corporal punishment as a form of discipline 22 percent of the time last year. Fite said about 5 percent of the district's parents signed forms opting out of corporal punishment for their children.
Tatum ISD had a total of 1,395 discipline referrals in the 2013-14 school year.
"Tatum ISD chooses to use corporal punishment because it is a form of discipline, and it does work for some students," Fite said. "The objective is to remove the unwanted behavior."
***
Corporal punishment in East Texas
For 2013-14:
-- Longview ISD: About 150 times
-- Pine Tree ISD: 109 times
-- Hallsville ISD: Three times
-- Spring Hill ISD: 0
-- Kilgore ISD: District did not respond to requests for information
-- Gladewater ISD: 382 times
-- White Oak ISD: 12 times
-- Sabine ISD: 78 times
-- Tatum ISD: District officials gave a number of 22 percent for use of corporal punishment as a form of discipline rather than a number of incidents.Source: School districts
Corpun file 25602 at www.corpun.com
CBSDFW.com, Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, 15 September 2014
Local
Corporal Punishment Continues In Many Texas Schools
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.com) -- An emotional debate is under way about how far is too far when it comes to disciplining children.
Minnesota Vikings player Adrian Peterson spoke out for the first time Monday since his indictment on child abuse charges -- that stemmed from spanking his four-year-old son with a switch.
The Palestine native released a statement saying, in part, "I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser. I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury."
Hitting kids at home can escalate to criminal act. But what about hitting kids at school? You may be surprised to learn that several North Texas school districts still allow corporal punishment.
Parents like Beth Emerson and Dina Smith don't shy away from spanking their children now and then. But they both believe the action is for parent only.
For them, things are different when an adult at a school is administering the punishment.
"I just don't feel like it's a wise decision," Smith said. "I don't know the force used ... their temper."
Emerson said, "In today's age I am surprised. It seems we tightened up on a lot of that stuff. It worked at a time, but not anymore."
In several North Texas school districts, corporal punishment of students remains on the books.
In Duncanville, parents must approve the paddling, and many do.
Last year, 227 Desoto ISD students received paddling as punishment. The district's Superintendent, Dr. David Harris, issued a statement saying, in part, "For some students and families, corporal punishment is an effective deterrent. For others is it not."
For the Grand Prairie and Wylie ISDs, corporal punishment isn't prohibited, but no longer practiced.
Grand Prairie ISD spokesman Sam Buchmeyer said, "I know anecdotally, we did have it both ways. Some parents did not want us to use it. Others did want us to use it, so we thought as educators there were more effective ways of student management."
© 2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved.
Corpun file 25634 at www.corpun.com
kltv.com (KLTV-TV), Tyler, Texas, 18 September 2014
What do E. Texas parents think of corporal punishment in school?
By Francesca Washington
Numerous school districts including Longview, Tyler, Lufkin, Nacogdoches and Whitehouse allow corporal punishment with parent consent.LONGVIEW, TX (KLTV) -- A national debate is under way about how far is too far when it comes to disciplining children.
Right now, 19 U.S. states still allow corporal punishment in public schools and one of those states is Texas. With the consent of parents, many East Texas school officials have the authority to spank your child.
Brandye Davis says it took a trip to the principal's office to keep her son out of trouble at school.
"Once he got in trouble and he got paddled and he ain't got in trouble again," Davis said.
Davis says she never spanked her 13-year-old at home, but when he acted out at school she took action.
"Showing out and acting up. I changed it to corporal punishment just to see if it would change his ways and it did. Before I didn't consent, but I do it to make him learn," Davis said.
With the consent from parents many East Texas school officials have the authority to spank your child.
Numerous school districts including Longview, Tyler, Lufkin, Nacogdoches and Whitehouse allow corporal punishment with parental consent.
"The parents have a right to opt out of that; they can sign a form and send it to the school," said Jody Clements, Assistant Superintendent of Longview ISD.
Officials say they resort to corporal punishment when a student's behavior is repeatedly an issue.
There are guidelines districts have to follow: The student must be told why they are being punished. Only the principal can give the spanking. The paddle being used must be approved by the principal.
Also, there needs to be a witness, and it can't happen in front of other students.
"For some children, it's very effective; for other children, it isn't effective at all. So I think as a district it is something we can utilize; it's not something we use very often," Clements said.
Troy Stock says he's never spanked his daughter and doesn't think it's necessary at school.
"To cause pain to teach somebody something, I just don't believe in it. I don't think it's teaching kids anything, I don't think it's a good way to teach a lesson to anybody," Stock said.
Officials say time outs, detention and suspension are other options districts use, and corporal punishment is usually a last resort.
School officials say they typically use corporal punishment on elementary and middle school students, because it's less effective for high school students.
Officials also say they contact parents before they administer the punishment.
Copyright 2014 KLTV. All rights reserved.
Two-minute news report from local TV station KLTV Tyler (18 Sep 2014) of which the above is a more or less verbatim text version. Parents pro and con, and a school superintendent, are interviewed. Typical Texas CP rules are quoted, and a paddle is shown. Anonymous "school officials" are quoted as saying that paddling is usually a last resort. (Anecdotal evidence suggests this is far from true in Texas, especially perhaps at the high-school level, where students committing fairly trivial offenses often choose a spanking in lieu of other punishment. The implication that CP is not much used in high schools is likewise incorrect for many of those Texas school districts that use CP at all. This is an example of "received wisdoms" passed along by poorly informed journalists being at variance with the facts on the ground.)
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