All area, county, and independent boards of education shall be authorized to determine and adopt policies and regulations relating to the use of corporal punishment by school principals and teachers employed by such boards.
Georgia School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Corporal Punishment
Georgia School Discipline Laws & Regulations: Corporal Punishment
Category: Conditions on Use of Certain Forms of Discipline
Subcategory: Corporal Punishment
State: Georgia
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LAWS
20-2-730. Policies and regulations on use of corporal punishment.
20-2-731. When and how corporal punishment may be administered.
An area, county, or independent board of education may, upon the adoption of written policies, authorize any principal or teacher employed by the board to administer, in the exercise of his sound discretion, corporal punishment on any pupil or pupils placed under his supervision in order to maintain proper control and discipline. Any such authorization shall be subject to the following requirements:
(1) The corporal punishment shall not be excessive or unduly severe;
(2) 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 antisocial or disruptive in nature as to shock the conscience;
(3) Corporal punishment must be administered in the presence of a principal or assistant principal, or the designee of the principal or assistant principal, employed by the board of education authorizing such punishment, and the other principal or assistant principal, or the designee of the principal or assistant principal, must be informed beforehand and in the presence of the pupil of the reason for the punishment;
(4) The principal or teacher who administered corporal punishment must provide the child's parent, upon request, a written explanation of the reasons for the punishment and the name of the principal or assistant principal, or designee of the principal or assistant principal, who was present; provided, however, that such an explanation shall not be used as evidence in any subsequent civil action brought as a result of the corporal punishment; and
(5) Corporal punishment shall not be administered to a child whose parents or legal guardian has upon the day of enrollment of the pupil filed with the principal of the school a statement from a medical doctor licensed in Georgia stating that it is detrimental to the child's mental or emotional stability.
20-2-732. When principal or teacher not liable for administering corporal punishment.
No principal or teacher who shall administer corporal punishment to a pupil or pupils under his care and supervision in conformity with the policies and regulations of the area, county, or independent board of education employing him and in accordance also with this subpart shall be held accountable or liable in any criminal or civil action based upon the administering of corporal punishment where the corporal punishment is administered in good faith and is not excessive or unduly severe.
20-2-740. Annual report by local boards of education regarding disciplinary and placement actions; annual study by Department of Education.
(a) Each local board of education shall file an annual report, by August 1 of each year, with the Department of Education regarding disciplinary and placement actions taken during the prior school year. Such report shall classify the types of actions into the following categories:
(8) Actions in which corporal punishment was administered.
REGULATIONS
No relevant regulations found.