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Corporal Punishment & Verbal Abuse
It is very important that all members understand the regulations on corporal punishment and verbal abuse:
Regulation of the Chancellor A-420 - Pupil Behavior and Discipline - Corporal Punishment: According to this regulation, "No corporal punishment shall be inflicted in any of the public schools, nor punishment of any kind tending to cause excessive fear of physical or mental distress. Violation of this by-law shall constitute grounds for dismissal."
New York State Commissioner of Education - Regulations of the Commissioner: Section 100.2 of the Regulations of the Commissioner defines corporal punishment as any act of physical force upon a pupil for the purpose of punishing that pupil.
Corporal punishment shall not mean the use of reasonable force to protect oneself, to protect another, to protect property or to restrain or remove.
Regulation of the Chancellor A-421 - Pupil Behavior and Discipline - Verbal Abuse: Verbal abuse of students is not corporal punishment but it is behavior that is prohibited by Regulation of the Chancellor A-421. Verbal abuse includes:
- Language that tends to cause fear or physical or mental distress;
- Language that includes words denoting racial, ethnic, religious, gender, disability, or sexual orientation which tends to cause fear or physical or mental distress;
- Language that tends to threaten physical harm; and
- Language that tends to belittle or subject students to ridicule.
