The Washington herald., 1916-11-20
School rule PERMITS
FlOGGING OF STUDENTS
Education Heads Admit System Is Used
in Graded Institutions.

The investigation of charges that chill
dren at the National Training School
were subjected to hoggings with a rub
Der hose has brought to light the fact
that the rules Of the public schools here
permit the fiogging of pupils providing
a report is made to the superintendent
of schools. -. u.s.
The rules provide that corporal punish
ment shall not be resorted to except In
extreme cases and whenever it does take
place q report by the teacher shall be
made to superior officers with reasonE
why corporal punishment was adminis-
tered
1t was admitted last night by Miss
Sarah z. White. principal of Gales
School. First and q streets northwest,
that boys have been nogged at that school
with a flexible instrument" and a re-
port made to the higher school authori-
ties on forms which have space for in
dicating the character Of the instrument
used for the beating.
Miss White stated that this method
OF punishment Ii not often resorted to.
but II IL permitted by the school rules
and beatings have been administered to
boys since she has been principal of that
school. She added that at the Gales
School two rooms are composed of "un-
graded boys" who have been trans
ferred from other schools for incorri-
gibility.
| says Cases Are Rare.
| Superintendent z. L. Thurston, of the
public schools, said last night that while
the rules permit teachers to administer
corporal punishment, the cases reported
to him have been extremely rare. He
could not recall when the last whipping
had taken place.
Rev John Van Schaick, jr., president
of the Board of Education. stated last
night that he had no knowledge of public
school children being flogged and had
never heard Of the rule which permitted
it. He declared that since last July. at
which time he was made president of the
I board, he has never seen any reports of
boys being flogged. I1r. Van Schaick said
he would at sonce familiariZe himself
with the regulations in question.
| Col. John @. Capers. chairman of the
| Chamber of Commerce investigating COM
mittee. said last night that he did not
believe the committee would take any ac-
tion officially on the subject of flOgging
| in the public schools. He stated that at
the National Training School the boys
| were all without parents whereas pupils
of the public schools live at home and
the parents should punish them.
Boys Back weIted.
| Il am personally opposed to flogging
children" Col. Capers said. "and since we
have started an Investigation at the
| Training School some of the facts that
have been uncovered would shock any
| civilized community. A prominent busi-
ness man came to me voluntarily and
| said that he was guardian Of boy at
that institution. While visiting his ward
he had to threaten the authorities OF the
school with legal proceedings to compel
| them to remove the boys shirt so that
he could see the condition of his back.
He said that when the shirt was finally
removed the boys back was striped with
weIts caused by the fioggings which had
| been given him. Numerous other cases
| have been brought to our attention, which
will make people gasp" declared Col
Capers.
Whether they are incorrigible or not
makes no difference from a humanitarian
tie last night when informed that boys
in the public schools were sometimes
whipped "Our committee does not meet
until Thursday. but We certainly should
take some action immediately DIR. Bat
tie said.
Cruelty Drives Son Away.
Some of the cases of cruelty to chill
dren uncovered by our investigation
| would bring tears A mother came to me
| the other day and said her boy had been
beaten so badly at the Training School
that he had run away from that institu-
ton and she had never heard from him
since
The Chamber of Commerce committee
expects to complete its investigation
| shortly, at which time 1t is thought that
the facts revealed will lead the board of
trustees of the Training School to abol-
ish all forms OF corporal punishment. If
this is not done, the committee states the
Department of Justice will be appealed
to. and II action is not taken by It, Con-
gress will be asked to conduct an inves-
tigation.