06/24/2009

Associated Press

The North Carolina Senate has rejected a bill that would require school administrators to tell parents their child could be paddled at school and allow adults to opt out of corporal punishment.

The Senate voted 25-21 on Wednesday against the bill that would have offered parents in the 55 school districts that use corporal punishment a choice whether to allow their child to be spanked.

There are 115 school districts in North Carolina.

Opponents like Democratic Sen. Doug Berger of Franklin County said the measure would effectively block corporal punishment statewide. Berger said no teacher would spank one child for an offense knowing another child could not be paddled for the same offense.

Others argued that school districts should develop their own policies.