Oklahoma lawmaker wants to ensure corporal punishment for special needs students remains an option
By Kolby Terrell
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OKLAHOMA (KOCO) — Efforts to get rid of corporal punishment for students with special needs have ramped up, but Oklahoma has not been successful in getting rid of it in schools.
On Monday, state Rep. Jim Olsen, who has been against getting rid of the punishment, led an interim study to hear from both sides.
“It has been effective when properly used for generations and for centuries,” Olsen, a Republican, said.
Legislators have been butting heads for years over corporal punishment in schools.
“There’s little research evidence that physical punishment improves children’s behavior in the long term,” David Blatt, an advocate attending the interim study, said.
Olsen said he believes it is in the best interest of students and teachers to make sure it stays as an option. He led the interim study to show how effective it is.
“For those schools and communities that are comfortable with it, it ought to remain an option,” Olsen said.
A retired superintendent used it when he was in charge and says that they had policies in place to make sure it was used for obedience and not abuse.
“We used it sparingly and with permission slips from parents,” Greg Reynolds, a retired superintendent, said.
One advocate for getting paddles out of schools said that it is not always the case, and lawmakers should err on the side of caution when it comes to possible cases of abuse.
“A child needs to be able to go someplace safe. Don’t we want our schools to be that safe place?” Blatt said.
For years, some lawmakers have been trying to ban spanking on students with special needs. Statute says it’s only not allowed on students with the “most significant cognitive disabilities.”
“My concerns are taking local control away from parents, school boards, school professionals and even the IEP (Individualized Education Program) team,” Reynolds said.
Olsen said he has no intention of introducing more legislation on the issue. He just wanted to ensure that Oklahoma leaves it as an option.
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