Teachers just can’t go around slapping kids.
There’s really not much more to it than that.
Perhaps, in days past, society tolerated teachers who threatened students with large pieces of lumber, complete with form-fitted handles and holes bored through to reduce wind drag and add to the sting, wielding threats to “bring out the wood” to restore order in a classroom.
But the days of corporal punishment in schools has passed. Parents and lawmakers are not willing to trust other people with physically disciplining students.
A substitute teacher in Rangeley was charged with assault last week. According to police, Heidi Sorensen slapped an eight-grade student across the face on Dec. 2 after the girl disrupted class.
The school reacted quickly – and we believe appropriately. Sorensen is forbidden from substitute teaching and can no longer volunteer at the school. Her presence is limited to picking up her child, who’s in elementary school, and attending basketball games.
Sorensen has been a substitute and volunteer for about five years. She says that the decision to end her volunteer duties is appalling and that the whole thing is blown out of proportion.
It’s a just punishment. Even as a volunteer, Sorensen, as an adult, has a position of authority in the school that students should respect. But the respect means that adults have to remain in control of themselves and set an appropriate example.
Sorensen also admitted striking the child, “I open-handed slapped her, not hard,” Sorensen said. “I just wanted to wake her up to be quiet in the library.”
The incident is serving as a wake-up call all right. The girls’ parents filed charges with the police, and the substitute teacher has lost her right to work at the school.
Sorensen made a serious mistake. She has apologized to the family and to the girl. But that doesn’t change what happened. The school and superintendent have acted responsibly.
Short of some extraordinary circumstance or threat, teachers who hit students have no place in schools.
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