Oklahoma Lawmaker Opposes State Ban on Using Corporal Punishment to Discipline Special Needs Children

An Oklahoma state representative argued it is best for students with special needs and teachers that corporal punishment, such as spanking and slapping, remains an option as opposed to joining the 26 states that have banned it, according to a report.

On Monday, House Rep. Jim Olsen of the Republican party led an interim study to give legislators on both sides the opportunity to discuss the ban, while he advocated for keeping it, according to KOCO 5 News.

"It has been effective when properly used for generations and for centuries," Olsen told attendees at the meeting. "For those schools and communities that are comfortable with it, it ought to remain an option."

David Blatt, cofounder of Oklahoma Policy Institute, was also in attendance but argued the opposing viewpoint.

"There's little research evidence that physical punishment improves children's behavior in the long term," Blatt told KOCO.

While a retired superintendent said at the event that his school "used it sparingly and with permission slips from parents," the station reported that Blatt said that lawmakers should at least remove paddles from schools to mitigate instances of abuse.

"A child needs to be able to go someplace safe. Don't we want our schools to be that safe place?" Blatt told KOCO.

As it stands, a statute only forbids corporal punishment on students with the "most significant cognitive disabilities." In the end, Olsen said he will not introduce additional legislation on the issue, but he wants to ensure it remains an option.