Is corporal punishment allowed in Hamilton County Schools?
Paddling and other forms of corporal punishment haven’t been allowed in Hamilton County Schools since 2018.
By Ian-Alijah Bey & Mary Helen Montgomery
You may have seen recent news reports about a new Tennessee law that limits when educators can use corporal punishment in schools. When we saw the reports, we immediately wondered — is this law relevant to Hamilton County Schools? Is corporal punishment practiced here?
The answer is no. At least, not anymore — although paddling was used regularly in some of our schools as recently as six years ago. In 2017, there were 270 instances of paddling recorded in Hamilton County Schools (69 percent of which took place at Tyner Middle School, according to a 2017 Times Free Press report). But as school board chair Tiffanie Robinson told Chattamatters: “There was public discussion back in 2018 and clear communication from the administration that corporal punishment is not allowed in our schools.”
Tennessee is one of 22 states in the U.S. that allows schools to use corporal punishment. The Tennessee law around corporal punishment directs local school boards to regulate and adopt their own policy to govern its use within their district. The Hamilton County School Board does not have a policy prohibiting corporal punishment, but it is not allowed by the administration.
Superintendent Dr. Justin Robertson wrote in an email to Chattamatters: "(Corporal punishment) is not allowed in HCS. Currently it is not a policy but is procedurally not allowed. It is also not listed as a consequence option in the COAB (Code of Acceptable Behavior)."
Email ian-alijah@chattamatters.com or maryhelen@chattamatters.com with any additional questions about corporal punishment policy or anything else in Chattanooga.