Missouri superintendent defends reinstating spanking as students plan protest

Some students at a rural Missouri school district are planning to demonstrate against its decision to reinstate corporal punishment, a move supporters have said will be only used as a last resort and with written permission from parents.

"Corporal punishment is honestly an archaic and completely pointless and irresponsible way to punish children and high schoolers," Kalia Miller, a 17-year-old senior at Cassville High School, told the Springfield News-Leader on Saturday.

"It's really frightening for a lot of students. Some students see it as abuse and it is abuse,” said Gabe Moore, another 17-year-old senior who is spearheading a student-led initiative called Students Against Abusive Policies with Miller.

But superintendent Merlyn Johnson of Cassville School District, in the southwest corner of the state, said parents in the “very traditional” community have long expressed concerns about disciplinary issues and had asked him to investigate bringing spankings back.

He said families in the 1,900-student district reacted differently than outsiders on social media.

"We've had people actually thank us for it," Johnson told the News-Leader on Tuesday.

In 1977, the Supreme Court ruled that corporal punishment is constitutional and left it up to states to decide. 19 states reportedly still allow the disciplinary measure, including Missouri.

Although it had abandoned corporal punishment in 2001, the school board brought it back in June after an anonymous survey of parents, students and school employees found all three groups were highly concerned with student behavior and discipline issues.

The policy states the discipline will only be administered by a principal, in the presence of a witness and never in the presence of other students. The only form of corporal punishment allowed is "swatting the buttocks with a paddle” to minimize any chance of bodily injury or harm.

Johnson said anyone who disagrees can opt out, adding: “We respect the decision of every parent, whatever decision they make.”

The superintendent touted spanking as an alternative to suspension, allowing troublesome students to be disciplined without missing out on schoolwork.

"A lot of times when kids are out-of-school suspended, they don't have the opportunity to make up that work. They get zeros and that is not what we want," Johnson said. 

Seniors Miller and Moore say SAAP boasts over 100 members. The group is organizing peaceful protests and plans to speak at upcoming board meetings.