Dec 5, 2005 7:42 am US/Eastern
Pennsylvania Bans Spanking In Schools
HARRISBURG, PA (AP) ―
Pennsylvania's public educators can no longer spank their students.
Regulations barring paddling and other physical discipline that causes pain and fear in students took effect on Saturday.
That makes Pennsylvania the 28th state to ban the use of corporal punishment.
For most schools, the new rule that was approved by the Independent Regulatory Review Commission in October will have little impact. Most districts across the state are believed to have stopped practicing corporal punishment years ago.
But some, such as the Carlisle Area School District, still had a policy permitting it on their books.
John Friend, Carlisle's assistant superintendent, says the school board is in the process of revising its policies and plans to remove that one.
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