A troubling video has surfaced depicting an elementary school principal and a clerk in southwest Florida paddling a 6-year-old student, purportedly for scratching a computer screen. The child’s mother recorded the incident while at the school to pay a fine for the alleged damage, fearing her account would otherwise be dismissed.
The school district prohibits corporal punishment, though Florida law doesn’t explicitly outlaw it. The mother described the paddling as severe and frightening, potentially causing physical and psychological harm to her daughter. The family’s lawyer condemned the punishment as “aggravated battery,” prompting the mother to seek medical documentation of the injuries.
Outrage over the incident has mounted, demanding accountability from the school district to address the matter appropriately.