Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-04-29
SCHOOL DECISION.
state sspevintcndent Axers Decides
an Important Case.

Superintendent Aekss rendered decision
o&fsship Of jefferson, Polk County, a case
that has Been sttractng much attention from
NIL interested In s.isoeis. Said Pattersoa wal
discharged from tho position Of teacher In sub
district No, ., BY tho School Board VI the town,
ship named on charge OF cruelty, inccsnpetsney
and partially The case was appealed to rae
County Superintendent who upheld the Board,
aud his decision 10 affirmed by Superintendent
Aehers In the following opinion;
On the 10Th day OF December, 1885, the
school board OF The above pamed district town.
ship discharged one ~ H. Patterson from the
position Of teacher In tho school OF sub dis
trict No, o. Charges Of cruel treatment OF
pupils, Of inoompctency and Partially were
preferred against said Patterson u the board,
and by them sustained Mr., Patterson appeal
ed TO the county superintendent, who affirmed
tho action of the board, upon the charge OF
"cruel treatment Of pupils." Mr.. Patterson
appealed 10 the Superintendent Of Public In
struction, The charge Of cruelty 10 pupils ro
lates to tho whipping Of i've ssslI and fra
boys eight years OF age. The evidence disclose,
that the rods used were about two or two and
ono-hsli feet In length and rather heavy The
teacher compelled these little boys 10 take
their coats Oh, and testihe'
that he gave them about twenty
lashes apiece. According to the testimony Of
Mr., Patterson the ofcnse for which Tie boys
were punished was a series OF misdemeauors,
such ~ whispering, laughing and reaching
across the aisles, Tue trial kolSro the county
superintendent oecurred eight days after TIE
whipping, and tho boys were still blue aud
purple. II IL useless to enlarge upon all the
facts connected with this eAse. Tho board aud
the county superintendent found the punish
ment 10 be uniuly severe and ereoasye. We
think II was cruel and barbsrous, Ne excuse
can palliate, much less Justify, such treatrneat
OF children OF such tender years, 10 matter
what their ofrcne may have been, The teach.
er tostiles that waiis the ANNOY anoss, for an
accumulation Of which he whipped tho boys,
had continued for several weeks, he had never
talked TO thsn la ysiyats about IT, II 10 evil
dent IRON his own testimony that he ruled his
school by force II not by violence. Corporal
punishment within tho limits OF reason ANA
moderation must sometime be reSSrled to In
the government Of y school, but ia nRgrant
abuse cannot be tolerated. During the punch
ment, which was during scheol hours and 10
the presence OF u,c entire school, scens oc.
cured, and language was used BY both the
teacher and some Of the larger pupils, over
which We charitably draw tho curtain or al
lence. The teacher who cannot rule ana con
troll such small chilarcu without rosort 10 pun
ishment which equals the torturss Of tho rack
and the bastuade should ssek some other ON
ploymcnt We have sympathy for ths teacher
because we believe he now realizes and IN sor'
ry Tor his fault, but we have felt 1t our duty 10
be severe In condemning such punishment In
the hope that examples OF such cases as this
may be less frequent In the future, The do
csion OF the county upcrintendent Ia affirmed
L. w AKuus