The Portland daily press., 1883-12-13
SCHOOL COMMITTEES.
Corporal Punishment in the schools.


A special meeting of the School Board was
held yesterday afternoon by order of the chair
man. His Honor he Mayor presiding.
Present-Messrs. Holden, Files, Merrill, Fox,
adley and Briggs.
The meeting was called to hear the COM
paint OF Mr.. Christopher s. Hatch, in regard
to the severity of the punishmen Mt of his boy in
the Smaller Grammar School. Mr.. Hatch and
tie boy made their statement to the commit
tee. DR.. Fossett, who examined the boy soon
alter the punishment stated it as his opinion
that the punishment was excessive, making
jiscoloration on the boys legs, bet net snch as
t. reqnire any application of remedies, and
that he, the DR.. applied none. The teacher
made her statement as to the conduct of the
boy-that she had frequently warned him that
punishment would follow his inattention and
idleness. She stated that the punishment was
with the strap upon the hand, and that as he
persstsntly withdrew his hand he was warned
that the punishment would be upon the body,
and she SO applied it, ia reason as she supposed
and that she ceased when the boy obeyed
Without further hearing the committee went
into executive session and the parties retired.
After some discussion as to the instrument
to be employed in school punshments, the fo.-
lowing resolution was offered by Mr.. Fox, and
passed by the vote OF 4 to 8. . Mr.. Brewer be-
ing absent
ResotUed-That in the case of the a atch boy,
lu the opinion of this Board the punishment
In this particular instsnce was excessive, and
that the Principal and teacher of this room be
notified by the Superintendent OF Schools that
HuCb puniGhmAnfg m ha cd
The committee then adjourned
The testimony before the committee, as we
are informed, was substantially as follows:
Mr.. Hatch's son testified that on Tuesday,
December 4th, he was standing in his class at
tending recitation where exercises on the
blackboard we're employed. He was watching
some Of the other boys aad lost his place. The
teacher, Miss Laughlin, said "this Is once too
many" and she ordered the boy to go and get
the strap and take it to the dressing room
where she would attend to him. He took the
strap there, and she came in and told him to
attend to his writing exercise; that she would
punish him after school, After school she
strapped him many times ON both hands, and
over the hips and back.
Mr.. Hatch the father testified that the boy
told him that Miss Laughlin struck him eight
times on the hands besides the blows on the
back.
Miss Laughlin's testimony was substantially
that as given above. For week she stated,
Hatch had been careless and inattsntive. and
only the day before the punishment she; had
called his attention to his habit Of losing his
place in recitation. That was why she
made the remark ''this is once too many"
When she attempted to punish him he with
drew his hand and continued doing SO which
caused him to receive more blows and necces-
STATED the striking him over the body. She
said that the Friday after the whipping the
boy came to school for his books, and as she
had heard he complained of excessive punish
ment she asked him to let her see the marks
Hatch did not object and all she could fnd
was black and blue spot about the size of the
palm of her hand
The strap used was about IS inches long, one
and half inches wide, and made of two thick
nesses Of leather.