WOODBURY — Last month, an elementary school principal in Florida made national headlines after cell phone footage of her administering corporal punishment to a six year-old girl went viral. 

The principal, Melissa Carter of Central Elementary School in Clewiston, Florida, beat the girl three times with a wooden paddle after the child allegedly damaged a computer at the school. 

The cellphone video was taken by the girl’s mother, who alleges she did not understand what was happening at the time because she does not speak English and was afraid to intervene because of her immigration status. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, corporal punishment is defined as: “the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain so as to correct their misbehavior.”

After the video made national news, NHS Chief Advocate journalists interviewed students and staff for their reactions on the viral headlines. Students and staff at Nonnewaug were surprised to find out that corporal punishment is still legal in 19 states – mostly southern states –  in the U.S.

According to a news report from the BBC: “more than 106,000 children were physically punished at U.S. public schools during the 2013-2014 school year – the most recent year for which national data is available – according to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights.”

An investigation into the incident and Carter is ongoing. 

The following list from the National Institutes of Health lists the many national organizations opposed to corporal punishment in schools: