Arkansas mother picks school paddling over suspension, spotlighting corporal punishment laws
A mother in Arkansas chose a school-administered paddling instead of suspension for her kindergarten son, illustrating that 15 states still allow corporal punishment in schools.
About eight years ago, Tessa Davis received a call from her son’s Little Rock school offering either a three-day suspension or a paddling after he allegedly twisted a girl’s jacket. She chose the paddling because she could not afford missing work, but the experience left her child fearful of returning to school. The episode underscores that 15 states still allow schools to use corporal punishment, though many districts require parental consent and the practice is largely confined to eight Southern states.
Federal Civil Rights Data Collection recorded roughly 32,000 paddlings in the 2021-22 school year, with higher rates in Arkansas and Mississippi. Psychologists argue the method can damage self-esteem and increase aggression, while some Oklahoma educators and district leaders claim it deters misbehavior and keeps students in class. Advocacy groups continue to push for a nationwide ban, citing cultural ties to the practice in parts of the South.
Why it matters
It reveals how outdated discipline methods still affect children and highlights uneven state policies on school punishment.
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