It sounds like an old-school punishment that you might think does not exist anymore, but "paddling" students is still legal in Kentucky and 19 other states. The issue will take its first real step toward a ban Tuesday at the Capitol in Frankfort.
House Bill 22 is the latest in a three year effort by Republican Representative Steve Riley. This year’s bill is worded nearly the same as his effort in 2019 except it adds “reasonable athletic and military training” is not corporal punishment.
Terry Brooks and Kentucky Youth Advocates backs the HB 22. They’ll send young people to testify at an early Tuesday hearing.
According to data compiled by Kentucky Youth Advocates, corporal punishment was applied 284 times in the 2018-2019 school year. That was down from more than 450 2017-2018. They reported 334 instances in the 2016-2017 school year. Mr. Brooks claims that corporal punishment is a discriminatory practice with no benefit.
“We know, for instance, students with disabilities are hit with inanimate objects more frequently than other students are”, Brooks said.
If HB 22 clears committee, it'll still have a long way to go to become law. But supporters hope that 2020 will be the year that Kentucky finally focuses on joining the majority of US states and turns away from that old tradition of paddling away bad behavior.
Corporal punishment is still legal in these states (see map)
