Investigation launched after Florida student, 6, paddled by principal

The mother said she recorded the video to expose what the school was doing behind closed doors.

May 3, 2021

An investigation is underway after a young child was disciplined with a paddle by her principal.

In a video that has now gone viral, a 6-year-old Florida girl was hit with a paddle several times at her elementary school while her mother recorded the incident. According to reports acquired by TMZ, there is now an investigation underway.

The child who attends Central Elementary School in Clewiston, FL, allegedly broke a school computer prompting a $50 fine. When the mother went to the school to pay the fee, she found herself in a room with her daughter, Principal Melissa Carter, and clerk, Cecilia Self.

The mother, who does not want to reveal her identity, said the school told her her daughter would be paddled witha”deputy” present, but she didn’t fully understand due to a language barrier.

But there was no deputy present, and the mother claims she was afraid of the consequences she would potentially face, so she chose not to intervene. Instead, the mother recorded the principal striking her daughter on the bottom with the wooden paddle repeatedly. The mother said she recorded the video to expose what the school was doing behind closed doors.

The viral story prompted social media users to open a larger conversation on if corporal punishment should be acceptable for students by educators and teachers.

“I heard many stories of nuns beating kids with rulers when my aunts and uncle were in catholic school and they turned out just fine. Sometimes a good spanking gets the job done,” wrote one Twitter user.

“Compare $50.00 damage to a computer which will probably be obsolete and in the trash within 50 weeks, and this child who will suffer for the rest of her life,” added another.

An investigation has been launched by the Clewiston Police Department, The Department of Children and Families, and the Hendry County School District.

“Although I was a proponent of it a long time ago and as a parent, I would probably still be a proponent of it,” said a Cape Coral parent and teacher, Cortney Hinton. “Given the circumstances or situation, as a teacher, I would not…I would not want the responsibility because of the way our society is today compared to thirty-plus years ago,” added Hinton, per Fox 4 Now.

Florida is one of the 19 states where the practice of paddling students is legal. Between 1974 and 1994, twenty-five states banned paddling as a disciplinary action, as it was deemed ineffective and inappropriate.

“Thirty something years ago, kids had a different approach on life- they didn’t have social media; they weren’t lead in different directions because of what’s around them,” Hinton added. “I’m not sure bringing it back, even if we were allowed to bring it back, would make a difference- I don’t think it would.”

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