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My 6-year-old son was given corporal punishment for saying a spelling test was boring. His teacher (the principal’s wife) sent him to the office and he was given one "swat" on the leg, not the bottom. It left God-fearing bruises and whelps on my son's leg for over a week. We first called the high school principal, who told us he had been called over [to the elementary school] to hold children down. It didn’t sound like he was going to be any help, so then we called the Sheriff's office and took pictures. I even contacted Senator Wentworth. He wrote back saying, “sometimes children heal faster than parents.” This has left scars on my child, and his behavior at home has gotten worse since this happened.
The next day we called a local newspaper and a TV station, all of which made stories of this terrible act. After it aired five adults questioned my son. At that time they accused us of leaving the marks and insinuated we had abused him by telling my son that they were there to "protect him." We then went to their Superintendent who said that she investigated it by asking the principal and witness what they thought. She concluded that there was no wrong on the school’s part, and that we were basically liars.
Later that school year we finally received the AD/HD testing that we asked for at the beginning of that school year and our fears came true my child tested positive for the hand-in-hand learning disability.
Then the reality hit, they spanked my son with a board for being a disabled student. In our minds no different than spanking a child in a wheelchair for not going fast enough.
Even the deputy that visited my house said that if I were to leave marks on my son (of that magnitude) or if someone would see me hit my child with a board, I would be in handcuffs and my children would be in protective custody.
I am now 30-years-old, and can remember every time I was spanked in school. Like most parents wanted life for my children to be better. In that aspect I failed and I don't take failure lightly.
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