Temple Texas ISD Campaign for Banning Corporal Punishment
August 2009
"Back to School" Safety Kit
The importance of the “Back to School” Safety Kit is to assure the safety of students in Temple Independent School District (TISD). On August 24, 2009, corporal punishment was reinstated by the TISD board members and Superintendent Dr. Robin Battershell, after being banned three years ago.
What is most responsible for drawing our attention to their reinstatement policy is the fact that, where it has been banned in schools worldwide, it has remained banned except for in Germany where it was reinstated only during Hitler’s Nazi era.
The Hitting Stops Here! spoke to more than 60 Temple, Texas parents while campaigning there and only three parents knew that this practice had been reinstated after a vague recollection of seeing a news article about it months ago.
Furthermore, not until The Hitting Stops Here! visited the district office of TISD to inquire about the whereabouts of their on line “code of conduct” policy, was it made accessible on their website for parents. TISD had ample time to have this all-important policy made available along with the “opt-out” form that parents were promised.
Unfortunately for many parents who do not have computers at home, downloading the school handbook containing the “code of conduct” is the only way for them to obtain a copy and learn about this policy which leaves their children “at-risk.”
Science has proven, with an over abundance of evidence, that beating children leads to aggressive behavior, lack of confidence, adult depression, and a litany of other maladies. Did Temple School District neglect doing their homework before making this reckless decision?
Who will spank them on their buttocks for poor behavior?
We encourage parents to fill out the following “Opt-out” form and the letter below, created by a lawyer, a pediatrician, and parents to be notarized before having multiple copies filed at school, the local police, and family pediatrician.
Congesswoman Lynn Woolsey called the practice of school corporal punishment “legalized child abuse,” May 2009.
We encourage parents to learn more by reading the following recent documents which include numerous accounts of Texas school abuse. Each one is linked to the top section of our Home page at www.TheHittingStopsHere.com:
The ACLU report: A Violent Education, by Ms. Alice Farmer
The GAO report: Seclusions and Restraints, by Investigator Gregory Kutz
The UC Davis Law Review, STATE ACTORS BEATING CHILDREN: A CALL FOR JUDICIAL RELIEF, by Professor of Law, Deana Pollard Sacks
By clicking our Home page “Media” link, please view photos reflecting the results of school beatings that average more than 2000 reports daily (reporting is not mandatory).
STOP CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN TEMPLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT
Click here to download the petition for banning corporal punishment in Temple ISD
TEMPLE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION SHEET
Click here to download the School Board's Audience Participation Sheet.
For the safety and protection of your child, please fill out the two forms below, the “Opt-out” form and the “Letter Denying School’s Right to Corporally Punish Named Student” (to be notarized). Please have a copy of each form filed with your school superintendent, principal, teacher, pediatrician, police dept., and at least two family members. One copy should be placed in the student’s backpack. If you follow these instructions, your child will likely avoid being punished in this degrading and harmful manner.
IMPORTANT NOTE: We recommend that you periodically request a copy of your child's school records. In numerous cases, parents have reported that “protective forms” have mysteriously disappeared from their child’s file. Don't let your child's protection disappear.
Corporal Punishment Opt-Out Form:
Urgent Message to Parents: By signing the school “code of conduct” form, you are indicating that you have read it and that you agree with its terms. If your child is abused in school, TISD can use this form to display your signature which indicates that you read and understood the school’s legal right to beat your child. Unless you attach an “Opt-out” form to your signed “code of conduct,” you will have nothing on record stating your disapproval of the school’s right to administer corporal punishment on your child.
In a court of law, the judge may deny your case due to the fact that you signed a form that indicated that you knew that your child could be beaten and you did not turn in any legal form, such as the “Opt-out” form, to deny the school’s right to beat your child. download
Notary Form: Letter Denying School’s Right to Corporally Punish Named Student download
Please read the documents below and become familiar with the TISD's board polices on corporal punishment. Mr. John Hancock, assistant superintendent of student services, indicted in a news press release, that corporal punishment would only be used upon parental consent and for major violations of the student code of conduct.
We advise you to ensure that your child does not fall victim to this “…legalized form of child abuse,” as described by Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey.
FO (Local)
This code outlines the districts guidelines for administering corporal punishment.
Code of Conduct
2009 - 2010 Student Code of Conduct
Student Handbook
2009 - 2010 Student Handbook
Physical exertion as a form of
corporal punishment
Please pay special attention to the “code of conduct” section outlining the use of physical exercise as a form of student punishment. Exercising the body is for good health and using it as a form of punishment is harmful in many ways, including the way in which it creates a negative association of this healthy activity with pain, punishment, and humiliation.
Below the following “code of conduct” rules concerning forced exercise, is an account given by parents of a TISD student who was abused through the use of forced exercise at Kennedy-Powell Elementary School.
“Coaches, physical education teachers, and classroom teachers supervising students outdoors during recess or lunch may use reasonable physical exercises or activities as a measure to enforce class or team rules in their classes and activities, and these exercises or activities are not considered to be “corporal punishment.” No other employees may use exposure to the physical elements, e.g., standing outside in heat or cold, or physical exertion, e.g., running, sit-ups, etc., as a disciplinary measure."
Narrative prepared by Paul and Alana Duckworth on behalf of their daughter, Cassidy J. Duckworth who was abused through the use of forced exercise at Kennedy-Powell Elementary School in the Temple Independent School District.
"Our daughter went on to describe the following events of what she described as being “the worst day ever.” She immediately began to tell us that her arms hurt, her hands hurt and were still red, and her toes hurt because she had to do over 100 pushups in Music class because another child was talking. Her exact words were “Daddy, I stopped counting at 105 because my arms were wobbling and my hands were turning red.”Read the full story
Reporting any form of corporal punishment to the proper authorities
Immediate action to take if your child is corporally punished in school:
1. Take your child to a local hospital and have them examined and treated for possible injuries. Take photos of any bruises, welts and other marks. Ask your doctor to write an injury report.
2. Contact your local police department and file a police report attaching the child’s medical examination report and “opt-out” form.
3. File a report with your local Child Protective Services agency providing them with all completed medical and police reports related to the incident.
4. Contact an attorney and seek legal advice. If you need help with this process, please contact The Hitting Stops Here! for support (info@thehittingstopshere.com).
5. Please go to www.TheHittingStopsHere.com and click on our "Tell us UrStory" link. We are dedicated to helping you and your child in any way that we can!
IMPORTANT REMINDER: It is absolutely imperative that you print and fill out the Corporal Punishment Opt-Out Form. Make sure that you have a copy filed at school and copies in your possession. This documentation will be one of the greatest assets in your case against the abuser. We recommend that you periodically request a copy of your child's school records. This will provide you with reassurance and comfort that the opt-out form remains in its proper place. In some cases, parents have reported this form to mysteriously disappear. Don't let your child's protection disappear...so check on it from time to time. We advise you to ensure that your child does not fall victim to this “…legalized form of child abuse,” as described by Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey.
Welcome to Public School Spanking 1O1! I know many students are going back to school on Monday. So am I. But do you know what else is going back to school? Paddles! The message in this radio show is for equipping students with the tools you need to protect yourself from legalized child abuse, also known as school corporal punishment. Your “behind” is on the line! Protect it.
Part 1: Temple ISD: Back-to-School information
Part 2: Temple ISD: Back-to-School information
Interview with Paula Flowe, teacher for 30 years and Executive Director of The Hitting Stops Here!, a campaign for teaching kindness and respect in schools everywhere. The interview includes information about the harm caused by corporal punishment.
These are the 7 TISD Board Members entrusted with making the best academic and safety decisions for the children of Temple ISD. They have been informed of the recent ACLU and Government Accountability Office reports which cite widespread and numerous cases of abuse and murder taking place in Texas schools. They have also been given access to an over abundance of scientific evidence that says beating children is harmful and may lead to lifelong health related issues.
Do they respect the Temple ISD children in their care?
Dr. Robin Basttershell
On September 14, 2009, The Hitting Stops Here! met with the Superintendent of Temple Independent School District (TISD), Dr. Robin Battershell. Our hope was that she would agree to do away with their newly reinstated discipline policy that allows faculty to “batter” the children in her care. We had anticipated that by the end of our meeting she would have agreed to be the “shell” that would protect them.
Unfortunately, Dr. Battershell turned out to be a “batterer” in spite of the material that we provided her regarding the harm that corporal punishment causes a developing human being (see links to material provided, below).
During the conference, a standard wooden paddle was used by The Hitting Stops Here! to emphasize certain points regarding its use. Each time it was used in this manner, which was more than seven times, Dr. Battershell shuddered, saying, “Why do you keep touching that? Why do you keep picking it up!” It was clear and obvious that the mere presence of this “weapon” disturbed her.
If the “presence” of this wooden board, used as a mere reference, was disturbing to one fully protected from its use, then let us imagine for a moment: What feelings must the children in Dr. Robin Batttershell’s care experience knowing that TISD can lawfully have them take a “rump presentation posture” to receive a beating with an object that she could barely stand to have placed on a desk in her office.
Material delivered to TISD Superintendent and Board Members:
We are confused. Why is it that in spite of the information that we have provided TISD, a poorly performing school district having a large population of black students and other minorities, they have refused to ban the practice of beating their children, while their predominantly white populated high performing neighbors, Belton Independent School District, prohibit even laying a finger on the children in their care as a means of disciplining them? Hmmm?
Board President Steve Wright
District 5 Email
Phone: 254-778-4495
Board Vice President Mary Klentzman
District 7 Email
Phone: 254-215-8473
Board Secretary Susan Long
District 4 Email
Phone: 254-773-3761
Virginia Suarez
District 1 Email
Phone:254-215-8473
Dorothy Powell
District 2 Email
Phone: 254-773-4950
Click here to download the TISD Awareness Event and School Board Rally flyer
This code outlines the districts guidelines for administering corporal punishment.
Paula Flowe protests in front of Temple High School
408.223.7797
