From my POV, there are a couple of things. I happen to be DEATHLY allergic to many kinds of red chilis (as in, if I eat one, my airways instantly close up and I need immediate medical attention or I will die). Now, while you can say I "got what I deserved" if something I stole made me sick, I don't know that death is an appropriate punishment for stealing a snack cake. But that's an extreme example. I'm sure the allergy is not common enough to warrant much concern. Still ... it hit me from that standpoint.
The biggest thing to me, though, is that you didn't try anything else first. Why not lock the lunchbox? Stick the snack cake to the bottom of the lunch box with duct tape so that it isn't as easy to grab? Put vaseline or something on the snack cake packaging so that it's slimy to grab. Something less potentially harmful.
Plus ... I get that you didn't know there was video footage available, but you didn't even ask. You went straight to the old, "If you're going to steal my snack cake, I'm going to make you hurt!" way of thinking. So you've just taught your daughter that it's okay to bait people. That you can punish someone for something without knowing why they did it. That you don't have to go the official route -- it's okay to take things into your own hands. And you've shown her that it's okay for an adult to do something like that to a kid and (more importantly) a teacher to a student.
I understand that your DH is a dad first and a teacher second. But in this case, I don't know that he set a good example either way.
While you're at, you might as well roll down the window so the thief don't cut himself, or break his arm, while trying to smash in your window. Don't forget to leave the keys in the ignition as well. He might hurt himself trying to hotwire your car to.
OP, your DH did nothing wrong.
Off-topic, gosh, I just love the phrase "mamby pamby".
To those who said they can't believe the OP's daughter would get in trouble,
there was a case just like this at my elementary school (k-8).
Child A kept having her sandwhich stolen by unknown child B.
Child A goes to teacher who brushes it off.
Child A put disgusting (but not poisonous) food items into sandwhich.
Child B ate sandwhich, spit out the tainted sandwhich and has trouble breathing. (Turns out he's allergic to one ingredient)
Teacher gets involved.
Child B is given a weeks detention for stealing lunches.
Child A is suspended for intentionally causing "harm" to another student. She set it up so that the theif would have nasty consequence (bad taste in the mouth) for stealing her food. Therefore, she intentionally meant to cause harm.
Fair? No, but that's how several schools around here still work.
I'm glad that things worked out for the OPs daughter. Maybe the thief will keep her hands to herself now.
I didn't say it was relevant. I think I even said it was an "extreme example." It was just one of the things that came to mind. Although, I didn't know I had the allergy until the first time I ate something with red chilis in it.
Maybe where you live but not in Texas. It's legal here.
