Last year officials of a government agency in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, beat more than a thousand African-Americans.
The Caddo Parrish school district is one of the centers of corporal punishment in the United States. Although perhaps little known, it is not a small district. It enrolls more than 40,000 students, two-thirds of whom are Black. Last year over one thousand of the district’s Black students received corporal punishment—that is, they were “beaten on the buttocks with a paddle provided by the school board a maximum of three (3) times . . . There will be only one paddle in each school; it shall be located in the principal’s office. It shall be 24” by 5” by 3/8”.”
This according to the district’s policy statement on school discipline.
Ninety five White students, 80 male and 15 female, were beaten in this way. This number might be compared with that for female Black students: 370. Seven hundred thirty five male Black students were beaten by their school principal (or designee).
It is five times more likely that a male Black student will receive corporal punishment than a male White student. Among female students, very few receive corporal punishment who are not Black.
According to the Caddo Parish (County) website: “Caddo Parish is a vibrant, innovative, growth oriented region building a dynamic future upon the foundation of its past. Located in the Northwest corner of Louisiana, Caddo Parish has a unique history . . .”
When will they stop beating their children?