American Civil Liberties Union

Report: Impairing Education: Corporal Punishment of Students with Disabilities in U.S. Public Schools
8/11/2009 - Students with disabilities face corporal punishment in public schools at disproportionately high rates according to a new report by the ACLU and Human Rights Watch. Corporal punishment — ranging from paddling, to throwing children into walls — can worsen these students' medical conditions and undermine their education. Students with disabilities are entitled to appropriate, inclusive educational programs that give them the opportunity to thrive. No child should be hit, especially the most vulnerable.
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Report: A Violent Education: Corporal Punishment of Children in U.S. Public Schools
8/19/2008 - The ACLU and Human Rights Watch released a comprehensive analysis of corporal punishment in America. In this 125-page report, A Violent Education: Corporal Punishment of Children in U.S. Public Schools, the ACLU and Human Rights Watch found that in Texas and Mississippi children ranging in age from 3 to 19 years old are routinely physically punished for minor infractions such as chewing gum, talking back to a teacher, or violating the dress code, as well as for more serious transgressions such as fighting. Corporal punishment, legal in 21 states, typically takes the form of "paddling," during which an administrator or teacher hits a child repeatedly on the buttocks with a long wooden board. The report shows that, as a result of paddling, many children are left injured, degraded, and disengaged from school.
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