Did you ever get paddled as a kid in school? Anyone who's gone to public school probably knows the familiar sounds. The jingle of the belt, the smack of a paddle -- or maybe the notorious phrase, "I'm gonna go cut me a switch.”
But no more at school for Illinois.
Illinois is now the fifth state in the U.S. to ban corporal punishment in all schools, both public and private. This includes religious schools.
David Smith with the Illinois Family Institute sees overreach. He said this is another example of government showing up where it shouldn't.
“Once again, our Illinois State lawmakers are getting outside their sphere of authorization and getting involved in private Christian schools and meddling where they should not meddle!” Smith told AFN.
The Bible discusses rearing children in many different parts, especially in the book of Proverbs. One passage that stands out is Proverbs 22:15, in which the King James Version says, "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him."
Whether people interpret that as a physical rod or not, many well-adjusted adults remember spanking as part of their childhood.
Illinois' new law clearly aims to change that.
“The fact is, parents and school administrators in these private Christian schools have every right to decide on how they shall operate, including abiding by the word of God, which tells us not to spare the rod and not to spoil our children, and so the government here in Illinois is way off base and should not be getting themselves involved,” Smith said.
Whether the law finds its way to a courtroom remains to be seen.
Squeamish for spanking
Any lawsuit against the state would have solid legal footing but would likely be an unpopular challenge, Smith said. Attitudes around the time-honored tradition have changed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended against it in 2019.
“I can’t see if it was challenged how it would stand up. Of course, it would probably be a negative PR nightmare for whoever challenges it, but the fact is that the government is out of bounds,” Smith said.
“They're exceeding their authority, and they're encroaching on the sphere of parental rights and usurping those parental rights because parents are the ones who decide where to send their children and if they want to send them to a military school, a private Christian school or what have you, and discipline like that is part of the curriculum if we're character training, then they should be able to do that without interference.”
