Teacher, assistant principal charged in paddling of elementary school student

Two Tennessee educators, a school teacher and an assistant principal at Dodson Branch Elementary School, are facing criminal charges after paddling an elementary school student.

The charges stem from an Oct. 4 incident at the school involving a student who had been paddled twice by the teacher while the assistant principal was present, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The student later complained of pain and was examined at a medical facility, the statement said. No other details were released.

Although many schools districts in Tennessee no longer use corporal punishment, there’s no state law banning it. State lawmakers passed new policies and procedures this year for schools still using it. The Jackson County School Board’s corporal punishment policy includes the new state requirements along with others, the Tennessean reported, citing documents.