Kentucky would no longer be one of 19 states that still spanks
children at school under a bill that was approved Tuesday by a legislative
panel in the 2020 General Assembly.
House Bill 22, filed by Representative Steve Riley of Glasgow, a
retired educator, would prohibit district employees, non-faculty coaches, and non-faculty
assistants from using corporal punishment on any student.
The Kentucky Department of Education said there were 284 incidents
of corporal punishment during the 2018-2019 school year, including incidents in
neighboring Wayne, Clinton and Pulaski counties. The Russell County
School board has already banned corporal punishment in Russell
county schools.
The bill passed the House Education committee on Tuesday and now
heads to the full House for consideration.