CORPORAL PUNISHMENT | Policy Manual

5630 - CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

This policy governs student discipline at ESC educational services/schools/programs. Nothing in this policy supersedes the home school’s rights and/or obligations to discipline students pursuant to the home school’s policies, administrative guidelines, and applicable rules and regulations.

While recognizing that students may require disciplinary action in various forms, the Governing Board does not condone the use of unreasonable force and fear as an appropriate procedure in student discipline.

Professional staff should not find it necessary to resort to physical force or violence to compel obedience. If all other means fail, staff members may always resort to removal of the student from the classroom or school through suspension or expulsion procedures.

Professional staff as well as classified staff may, within the scope of their employment, use and apply reasonable and necessary force and restraint to quell a disturbance threatening physical injury to others, to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous objects upon or within the control of the student, in self-defense, or for the protection of persons or property.

Corporal punishment is not permitted. If any employee threatens to inflict, inflicts, or causes to inflict unnecessary, unreasonable, irrational, or inappropriate force upon a student, s/he may be subject to discipline by this Governing Board and possibly charges of child abuse as well. This prohibition applies as well to volunteers and those with whom the ESC contracts for services.