Corporal punishment has been a debatable topic for quite
some time with many Americans expressing mixed opinions regarding the
notion of “other people punishing their children.” Now, a Baton Rouge,
Louisiana principal is at the center of contention over footage that
some argue simulates unauthorized corporal punishment.
According to The Advocate,
Calvin Nicholas has only been principal of Scotlandville High School
for three short months. But, now, there is a possibility he won’t be
employed with the school much longer since an incriminating video has
surfaced.
It has been reported that Nicholas has been placed on
“indefinite leave” with pay by the East Baton Rouge Parish School System
after a video surfaced of him striking a student with a stick. It has
been reported that Nicholas was attempting to break up a fight between
two male students. Although he may have only intended to mediate, his
approach to defusing the altercation has been criticized because he
allegedly hit one of the students on the rear with the stick before
pulling him off the other student.
Footage of the fight can be watched here, but it’s very pixelated and hard to really make anything out.
According to WBRZ News,
the blurry video was reportedly filmed by a bystander. Although most
would probably assume a student would have been the bystander to film
the incident, recent reports may suggest otherwise. The news publication
revealed that it received the footage on Tuesday from an unnamed
teacher. Shortly after the questionable video made headlines, Adonica
Duggan, a district spokesperson for the school system, released a brief
statement.
“We received the video yesterday, and there is currently an
open investigation,” Duggan said on Wednesday. “This is a personnel
matter, so we are limited in what we can discuss. We are investigating…
The principal has been placed on administrative leave with pay pending
the outcome of the investigation.”
I feel it important to note that no news outlets are
reporting any injuries caused to any students by the principal in
relation to this incident. What we do have as an overreaction by people
on social media and news outlets sensationalizing what really happened.
Regardless of your agreement with the method used, the
alternative would have been to watch them slug it out. I think there
would have been more outrage if the teacher stood by and watched. Either
way, the school gets sued and the parents receive a nice check for
raising punks that got some tough love that they should have received at
home. There are some fights that are just impossible to win in the eyes
of public opinion.
[Image(s) via WBRZ Screen Capture; The Advocate]
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