Corporal Punishment Guidelines for Elementary School, Bibb County, Ga.
Source: Code of Conduct, 2003-2004, Elementary School, Bibb County Public Schools, Macon, Georgia

Corporal Punishment

Any principal, assistant principal or teacher employed by the school district may, in the exercise of sound discretion, administer corporal punishment on any pupil placed under his/her supervision subject to the following requirements and limitations:

Corporal punishment shall never be used as a first line of punishment for misbehavior unless the pupil was informed beforehand that specific misbehavior could occasion its use; provided, however, that corporal punishment may be employed as a first line of punishment for those acts of misconduct which are so anti-social or disruptive in nature as to shock the conscience.

Corporal punishment must be administered in the presence of another principal, assistant principal or employee designated by the principal for that purpose. The employee who is to administer corporal punishment and the employee, if any, who initiated the disciplinary measures which are to result in the administration of corporal punishment must confer and they must agree on the necessity for corporal punishment in each instance.

The student should clearly understand the seriousness of the offense and the reason for his/her punishment. The employee who is to witness the corporal punishment must be informed beforehand and in the presence of the student of the reason for the punishment.

Corporal punishment shall not be excessive or unduly severe.

Corporal punishment shall be administered under conditions not calculated to hold the student up to ridicule or shame.

An employee who administers corporal punishment shall not use any instrument which could produce physical injury to a student, and no part of the body above the waist or below the knees may be struck.

The employee who administers corporal punishment shall provide the student's parent or guardian, upon request, a written explanation of the reasons for the punishment and the name of the principal, assistant principal, or other designee who was present and witnessed such punishment.

Corporal punishment shall not be administered to a child whose parent or guardian has filed with the principal of the school a written statement requesting that corporal punishment not be administered to the child. Notwithstanding the absence of any such statement, school employees shall never administer corporal punishment to a student known to be under psychological or physical treatment without first conferring with the student's psychologist or physician.