Louisiana Schools: What Parents Must Know About Spanking Rules

SHREVEPORT, LA – As we prepare to wrap up the school year, some are calling for an end to spanking in schools in Louisiana. Corporal punishment is no longer allowed in Lafayette acording to the latest update on the Lafayette Parish School Board website.

What Is the Spanking Law in Louisiana?

Lawmakers changed the law in Louisiana couple of years ago. It does not ban spanking in the state, but parents must sign a note giving permission for their children to be spanked at school.

Currently, corporal punishment is legal in 17 states and practiced in 14. Some in Congress have tried to ban corporal punishment nationwide. But that effort has not passed. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut proposed a bill in 2023 to do away with corporal punishment or risk federal dollars. That law was never passed.

READ MORE: How Spanking Laws Have Changed 

Local school boards can take action to ban corporal punishment, if desired.

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The National Association of School Principals discourages the use of corporal punishment in schools. The group says:

Although corporal punishment is no longer tolerated in the military, prisons, or mental institutions, 17 states still allow corporal punishment in full or in part. Every year, more than 110,000 students are subjected to this particular form of punishment in public schools, and a disproportionate number are minority students, male students, and students with disabilities.

Can Spanking in School Damage a Child?

The group says research data shows spanking a child could have an impact on that child’s self-image and school performance.

The group also says “Corporal punishment increases liability for school administrators and school boards. Educators and school boards are sometimes sued when corporal punishment is used in their schools.”

Another group, the American Academy of Pediatrics has also called for an end to corporal punishment in schools. The doctors have urged educators to find alternative discipline methods to deal with bad student behavior.