CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
The Washington 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 or his/her designated representative in the presence of another adult school employee. At no time shall corporal punishment be administered in the presence of another student.
Teachers shall be supported by the School Board and the administration in their efforts to teach good citizenship by requiring proper conduct. While teachers shall be reasonable in all student-related demands, they need not tolerate disrespect, boisterous, rough, and violent outbursts of language and temper on the part of the pupils.
For the administration of corporal punishment within this school system, the following guidelines shall be adhered to:
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Section 1.
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The only type of corporal punishment which may be administered to students by employees of this school system shall be defined and described in Section 2 hereof and may be administered only by those persons designated in Section 3 hereof and only under the conditions set forth in Section 4 hereof.
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Section 2.
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a.
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Corporal punishment, for use in this school system, is defined as, and limited to, punishing or correcting a student by striking the student on the buttocks a maximum of five (5) times. When such corporal punishment is administered to a student, it must be administered in a reasonable manner taking into consideration the age, size, emotional condition and health of the student.
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b.
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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.
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Section 3.
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Corporal punishment, as defined herein, shall be administered only by a principal, assistant principal, or teachers authorized by the principal.
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Section 4.
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a.
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Corporal punishment may be administered to a student in lieu of giving him/her a short term suspension for violation of any of the school regulations set by the Board.
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b.
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Prior to the administering of corporal punishment the principal, assistant principal, or teacher, as the case may be, shall advise the student of the particular misconduct of which he/she is accused as well as the basis for such accusation and the pupil shall be given an opportunity to explain his or her version of the facts prior to imposition of such corporal punishment.
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c.
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A record of each incident of corporal punishment shall be kept which shall include the name of the student and the time, date, details of the violation, form of discipline administered, the person administering such discipline and the witnesses thereto. Upon request of the parent, the principal or assistant principal shall furnish the parents, or person having legal custody of the student, a written report of such violation and punishment.
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d.
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Corporal punishment should be used after other methods and efforts to maintain discipline have failed.
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e.
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Except for those acts of misconduct which are so anti‑social or disruptive in nature as to shock the conscience, corporal punishment should not be used unless the student was 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.
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f.
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A teacher or principal must punish corporally in the presence of a second school official (teacher or principal), who must be informed beforehand and in the student's presence of the reason for the punishment.
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g.
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An official who has administered such punishment must provide the child's parent, upon request, a written explanation of his/her reasons and the name of the second official who was present.
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Section 5.
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A copy of this policy shall be distributed to every teacher in the Washington Parish School System and shall be read and discussed with every student. A copy of this policy will be furnished to parents and students upon request.
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Ref: US Constitution, Amend. XIII
US Constitution, Amend. XIV, Sec. 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)
La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§17:81.6, 17:416.1
Washington Parish School Board