From my local newspaper: "School Board: No more paddling"

School Board: No more paddling

By Joe Callahan
Staff writer

Published: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 8:19 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 8:21 p.m.

Marion County school principals will no longer have the option of paddling students after the School Board changed course Tuesday night, removing the corporal punishment option from the 2010-11 Student Code of Conduct.

The code is a set of policies governing student behavior and how schools address discipline issues. Until Tuesday's decision, parents of students who continually misbehave could give permission to allow the principal, or a designee, to issue three swats with a paddle in front of a witness.

The decision at Tuesday night's public hearing ended several months of discussion about the controversial issue. During a February workshop, three of the five board members wanted the option to remain in the code.

Board members Ron Crawford and chairwoman Sue Mosley both wanted to give principals the option to paddle. Crawford said it is just an option and the fact remains that half the principals choose to never use it.