Principal 'paddling' first grader for damaging computer

Apparently the Florida Atty General’s office has determined no law was broken:
https://news.yahoo.com/florida-principal-spanked-student-didnt-161354127.html
I saw that. So sad.

It was determined the mother wanted her daughter beaten with a piece of wood.

And instead of sitting the mother down (with an interpreter) and explaining that hitting a six year old child won't work, the principal proceeded to hit the child. And did it in such an eager manner. In a county where it's not permitted. The educated woman in charge of the school then called the girl a brat and said she would spank her all the time if she was her daughter. And also said that people would gather and watch if the mom wanted to hit her. Disgusting.

It's just awful that there is not one adult, including the Atty General, that is there to protect the little girl.
 
So I was right in some things not so in others.

So there was prior issues between the mom and the principal. The mom gave permission for her child to be physically punished which explains why the mom didn't speak out in the video, and it doesn't appear that this child has had much vouching for her going on :sad2: I wonder what her home life is like as according to her mom this 6 year old "threatened to call the police or the state's Department of Children and Families" I don't think I even knew DCF existed at age 6.

I wonder if the mom realizes that corporal punishment according to the AAP includes spanking. You authorize spanking but not the paddle? I can understand one would think spanking would inflict less pain overall but you're down with the school physically touching your child to discipline them in the first place and you're afraid to do it yourself because you fear your child will call the legal authorities? But since the school did it and you found out they weren't supposed to do it now you want to shift it all onto the school?

Ugh this mom just has less and less sympathy to me. The only party I feel really really sorry for is this poor girl who is caught in the middle of it all.
 
I saw that. So sad.

It was determined the mother wanted her daughter beaten with a piece of wood.

And instead of sitting the mother down (with an interpreter) and explaining that hitting a six year old child won't work, the principal proceeded to hit the child. And did it in such an eager manner. In a county where it's not permitted. The educated woman in charge of the school then called the girl a brat and said she would spank her all the time if she was her daughter. And also said that people would gather and watch if the mom wanted to hit her. Disgusting.

It's just awful that there is not one adult, including the Atty General, that is there to protect the little girl.
I do think there should be charges and disciplinary action for the principal and the worker but I'm guessing because the parent gave permission it complicates matters. In court that may not have led to a conviction.

On the other hand the school should let this principal go irrespective of what criminal charges didn't get applied not only for doing something she shouldn't have been doing but also her demeanor throughout all of it. That is someone who needs to be not in charge of children. And the worker should either get the same or should be suspended for a time.
 

Also, why doesn't the school have insurance on their computers? Where did the principal come up with $50? That should be investigated too. How many times has she done this and where did that money (I'm sure cash) go?
At my school our students are issued basic Chromebooks. It's county policy that "minor damage" is billed at $50 (cosmetic damage, still usable), and if the Chromebook is lost or ruined it's billed at $260. I forget the cost of a lost charger, but it's higher than I would've expected.
I was paddled in the first grade. This girl kept talking to me and I asked her to please stop. The teacher paddled *me* because I was “talking.”
I was paddled once in the first grade. I was talking while the teacher was talking. I knew I was breaking a rule, and I deserved it. I was in no way scared physically or emotionally, but I learned my lesson, and I did not repeat that mistake. I also made very sure my mother didn't know what I'd done: she'd have taken the school's side.
You’re probably in the minority because it objectively does not work. It not only doesn’t stop problem behavior, but it makes kids more violent. That old saying is flat out wrong.
No, spanking /paddling can be an effective punishment /deterrent for future behavior -- IF it's done appropriately.
 
No, spanking /paddling can be an effective punishment /deterrent for future behavior -- IF it's done appropriately.
Do you have any studies to back that up? Because everything I've read in the last 15 years says otherwise. I'm willing to change my views, but every time this comes up, no one can provide me with convincing evidence.
 
Do you have any studies to back that up? Because everything I've read in the last 15 years says otherwise. I'm willing to change my views, but every time this comes up, no one can provide me with convincing evidence.
How about the fact that spanking /paddling was acceptable practice for generations upon generations, and the majority of those children turned out better than today's society?

Of course, that's not a fair statement because many, many, many things affect whether a person grows up to be a good person or a bad person. Parental discipline methods are not a make-or-break item.

What's written about spanking /paddling is more an indication of society's softer-gentler-anything-goes parenting than actual evidence.
 
How about the fact that spanking /paddling was acceptable practice for generations upon generations, and the majority of those children turned out better than today's society?

Of course, that's not a fair statement because many, many, many things affect whether a person grows up to be a good person or a bad person. Parental discipline methods are not a make-or-break item.

What's written about spanking /paddling is more an indication of society's softer-gentler-anything-goes parenting than actual evidence.
For generations upon generations people were more violent in general. I don't think the children of the past turned out any better than today's kids.

True, parenting is much more complex than "Do this, get a good kid. Do that, get a bad kid." But the data is clear that other disciplinary techniques are better at correcting behavior and corporal punishment is strongly correlated with increased violent behavior later in life.

I mean, I get that I'm not going to convince you. But if your aim is to convince me then you're going to have to show me some actual data. Otherwise, have a great day.

Edit: word order. My cursor is doing some strange things lately.
 
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I was paddled once in the first grade. I was talking while the teacher was talking. I knew I was breaking a rule, and I deserved it. I was in no way scared physically or emotionally, but I learned my lesson, and I did not repeat that mistake. I also made very sure my mother didn't know what I'd done: she'd have taken the school's side.
But don't you see? There is some sort of emotional disconnect if you think being hit is an appropriate punishment for speaking while someone else is speaking.

And since your mom would have sided with the school, you were raised in a home that also thought that was an appropriate punishment. So you didn't know any better.

Being hit is absolutely not an appropriate punishment for speaking when someone else is speaking.
 
I'd say this mom has bigger problems than the school. Her six year old is purposely damaging things at home and threatening to call the police and DCF on her mother if she is punished? Yeah, she's got some big problems to handle.
 
Anyone who still thinks the mom is innocent in all of this are only fooling themselves. Her story is so full of inconsistencies that it’s absolutely ridiculous that a lawyer would even take her case - unless he saw big money in his future, which is no doubt the plan.
 
Anyone who still thinks the mom is innocent in all of this are only fooling themselves. Her story is so full of inconsistencies that it’s absolutely ridiculous that a lawyer would even take her case - unless he saw big money in his future, which is no doubt the plan.

I think the mom is more at fault that the school even though I think both are wrong. A parent should be advocating for their child. If I gave my son's school permission to paddle him and they did I'm the bigger problem.
 
This story makes no sense, why did the principal even have a paddle? I can’t imagine my kids’ school calling me and telling me my child caused damage, me telling the school my child hasn’t been behaving and to please spank her, and the school telling me they will if I come and watch.
 
This story makes no sense, why did the principal even have a paddle? I can’t imagine my kids’ school calling me and telling me my child caused damage, me telling the school my child hasn’t been behaving and to please spank her, and the school telling me they will if I come and watch.

As I've said earlier, you would be shocked at how many parents have told me over the years to slap, spank, or hit their child in class if he or she isn't behaving.

Full disclaimer, I have a foam brick in my room that we needed for a song one year. It's one of those bricks that you throw at the TV if your team isn't doing well and it sounds like breaking glass when it lands. The joke in my room is, "Don't make her throw the brick at you!" or "Don't make her throw the chancla." However, they all know I wouldn't do it. It's all about respect for one another, class dynamics, and trust.
 
As I've said earlier, you would be shocked at how many parents have told me over the years to slap, spank, or hit their child in class if he or she isn't behaving.

Full disclaimer, I have a foam brick in my room that we needed for a song one year. It's one of those bricks that you throw at the TV if your team isn't doing well and it sounds like breaking glass when it lands. The joke in my room is, "Don't make her throw the brick at you!" or "Don't make her throw the chancla." However, they all know I wouldn't do it. It's all about respect for one another, class dynamics, and trust.
I believe there are parents like that, but I can’t wrap my head around a principal agreeing, and having a paddle.
 
I believe there are parents like that, but I can’t wrap my head around a principal agreeing, and having a paddle.
Not defending it by any means. But if paddling is legal there and actually used then I’m not shocked the principal has a paddle. They are going to do it with their hand. When I was a kid paddling was still allowed in our schools and the principal definitely had one.
 
Not defending it by any means. But if paddling is legal there and actually used then I’m not shocked the principal has a paddle. They are going to do it with their hand. When I was a kid paddling was still allowed in our schools and the principal definitely had one.
But I thought that it wasn’t legal at this school.
 
Nuns were notorious for using yardsticks or rubber-tipped wooden pointers as weapons. One of my nuns placed the pointer under a misbehaving child’s chin and tilted his/ her head backwards while berating him/her.

It was not uncommon for a nun, while writing on the blackboard, to suddenly turn around and throw the eraser at a kid she suspected of talking or not paying attention. Sometimes her aim was so bad that she ended up hitting the innocent goody-two-shoes girl in the next row.
None of the nuns I had hit anyone that I remember but one of the lay teachers would smack a kid’s open palm with a ruler. Never happened to me but she had them stand at the front of the room.
 












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