In one sense we can sympathize with trustees in the Little Cypress-Mauriceville school district. All of the administrators at four campuses are women, and that can pose problems if boys need to be paddled. On Monday trustees approved the first reading of a policy change that would allow administrators of one gender to paddle students of another.

If a district is going to allow paddling, that makes sense. It's easy to be uncomfortable with the implications of a male educator paddling a female student.

Then again, it's easy to be uncomfortable with the implications of paddling itself.

Paddling may be appropriate for misbehaving toddlers in the home, but it's an entirely different proposition for older students at a public institution. It sends a message that force, not reason, is acceptable.

Instead of struggling to make an outdated policy work, educators would be better off thinking about the many other options to physical punishment.