Tennessee Elementary School Teacher Took Paddling Too Far Causing Severe Injury To Student
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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
While paddling is legal in Tennessee schools, it seems one school teacher took it too far causing severe injury to a Dodson Branch Elementary School student.
According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), Jackson Patterson, 39, administered the corporal punishment on the student in the presence of Assistant Principal Tena Lynn, 54, on October 4th, 2023.
Both Jackson County employees were arrested this week. Patterson has been charged with simple assault, and Lynn with criminal responsibility of assault.
Tennessee law requires that corporal punishment not be excessive. It also can’t be used before other methods of discipline have been tried, and parental consent is required.
The Tennessee Conservative has learned that the child’s tailbone was allegedly broken during the paddling. According to more than one source, the child sustained bruising on his back all the way down to his thighs and is undergoing physical therapy.
When the child complained about pain following the physical punishment that he received, he was taken to medical professionals for evaluation, where his injuries were documented.
District Attorney General Jason Lawson requested that TBI assist in an investigation with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Children’s Services after the child’s parent made a complaint to both offices.
TBI presented their findings to the Jackson County Grand Jury, a group comprised of citizens. Based on photographs and other evidence, the Grand Jury decided that the circumstances of the case warranted assault charges.
Dodson Branch Principal Brian Lee has stated that Patterson and Lynn have been placed on administrative leave in accordance with local school board policy.
From 2020-21 state data, 33 school districts used corporal punishment in that school year. There were 45 districts that had a ban on using it, and another 33 allowed it but didn’t use it.
A new state law places additional requirements on school officials and teachers regarding the use of corporal punishment with students who have disabilities. HB0995/SB0972 requires teachers to go through several steps before paddling students. Teachers must first take steps to address student behavior, provide consequences to students for inappropriate behavior, consult with parents about what is happening with their child in school and also screen for disabilities if needed. In general, using corporal punishment with a student who has a disability is not allowed unless the school district allows it and the parent has given their permission in writing.
Many Jackson County parents have been supportive of both Patterson and Lynn since hearing the news of their indictments, praising them for being outstanding educators. But other residents say the county has a history of going overboard with physical punishment.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative.You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
These teachers should be punished for abuse especially if they don’t know how to paddle on the rear not anywhere else.
This should be investigated and, and if the child was overly ‘punished’, the offenders prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
No excuse for letting emotions and anger being involved in punishing a child.
No one should ever discipline a child in anger, discipline is supposed to be for the benefit of the child, not for the adult to vent his anger! I worked for a private school as a nurse. A child was beaten by a youth pastor who was dating the child’s mother. He had welts all over his body. He wasn’t even the child’s father! I called the authorities.
No adult should ever hit any kid, no matter how the kid acts. Hitting is always abuse, no matter what. Kids aren’t objects that any adults can ever hit, kick, or throw. Kids are human beings, just like adults, so all kids need respect. Respect is a two-way street. You can’t hit anybody, especially a kid, and think they’ll respect you; that’s not how that works. Inorder for kids to respect adults, adults need to respect kids. Kids need adults to set a good example, by not hitting anybody. Corporal punishment is violence. Violence iis: Bad, wrong, abusive, disrespectful, and unnecessary. ”Discipline,” doesn’t mean, ”Hit,” ”Discipline,” means, ”Teach.” Corporal punishment doesn’t solve problems; it only causes problems, including: Anger issues, depression, suicidal thoughts, fear, worry, trust issues, and rebellion. If anybody ever recieves any form of corporal punishment, all that will ever teach them to do is be violent. It’s a vicious cycle, which needs to be broken. If adults say it’s their job to protect any kids, and then those adults physically hurt those kids, then those adults are only contridicting themselves. Adults need to follow through on their jobs of protecting kids, and not physically hurt those kids. If those adults don’t follow through on their jobs of protecting kids, and do physically hurt those kids, then those adults are bad influences and need to be in prison. Kids need good influences in their lives. I don’t think people should make wooden paddles anymore. Since wooden paddles have given students bruises and blisters and other injuries, I think all of those objects should be thrown into woodchippers and the nice adults should keep the kids away from both kinds of objects. Then that way, those nice adults would be protecting the kids. That would be the responsible thing to do.