| Mt. Clemens Community Schools |
| Bylaws & Policies |
5630 - CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
While recognizing that students may require disciplinary action in various forms, the Board of Education cannot condone the use of unreasonable force and fear as an appropriate procedure in student discipline.
Professional staff should not find it necessary to resort to physical force or violence to compel obedience. If all other means fail, staff members may always resort to removal of the student from the classroom or school through suspension or expulsion procedures.
Professional staff as well as support staff may, within the scope of their employment, and after issuing a verbal directive to stop, may use and apply reasonable physical force upon a student as necessary to maintain order and control in a school or school-related setting for the purpose of providing an environment conducive to safety and learning. In maintaining that order and control, the person may use physical force upon a student as may be necessary for one (1) or more of the following:
| A. | to restrain or remove a student whose behavior is interfering with the orderly exercise and performance of School District or public school academy functions within a school or at a school-related activity, if that student has refused to comply with a request to refrain from further disruptive acts; | |
| B. | for self-defense or the defense of another; | |
| C. | to prevent a student from inflicting harm on himself/herself; | |
| D. | to quell a disturbance that threatens physical injury to any person; | |
| E. | to obtain possession of a weapon or other dangerous object upon or within the control of a student; | |
| F. | to protect property. |
In accordance with state law, corporal punishment shall not be permitted. "Corporate punishment" means the deliberate infliction of physical pain by hitting, paddling, spanking, slapping, or any other physical force used as a means of discipline. Corporal punishment does not include physical pain caused by reasonable physical activities associated with athletic training. A person employed by or engaged as a volunteer or contractor by the School Board shall not inflict or cause to be inflicted corporal punishment upon any student under any circumstances.
In determining whether an employee, volunteer, or contractor has acted in accordance with this policy, deference shall be given to reasonable good-faith judgments made by that person.
If any staff member, full-time, part-time, or substitute deliberately inflicts, or causes to be inflicted, physical pain by hitting, paddling, spanking, slapping, or make use of any other kind of physical force as a means of disciplining a student, s/he may be subject to discipline by this Board and possible criminal assault charges as well. This prohibition applies as well to volunteers and those with whom the District contracts for service.
The Superintendent shall provide administrative guidelines which shall include a list of alternatives to corporal punishment.
M.C.L.A. 380.1312
Revised 2/16/93