Teacher On Leave For Reportedly Threatening Students With Corporal Punishment
YUBA CITY (CBS13) — A teacher at Yuba City High School is on administrative leave after reportedly threatening students with corporal punishment.
The alleged threat came after students did not return parent-signed forms.
District leaders say this investigation has been turned over to the Sutter County District Attorney's office, but that is the protocol for any incident involving a student.
They could not say much about what this threat of "corporal punishment" actually means, but in a letter sent home to parents, the district said some students think the teacher was just trying to be funny.
It's been a week since this incident happened, and the teacher in question is still on leave.
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District Superintendent Doreen Osumi could not release the teacher's name or much information about this alleged threat calling it a "personnel matter." Osumi did send a letter home to parents last week saying they are taking the alleged threat seriously.
The letter reads in part, "initial reports describe the incident that at least some students believed was intended as humor.
Regardless of the intent of the teacher any suggestion that a student would be subjected to corporal punishment is completely inappropriate."
Now some students are coming to the defense of this teacher, saying this is a misunderstanding that was blown out of proportion. Parents said they are not worried about this teacher, and some even said harsher punishment should be okay in school districts.
Parent Pat Daddow said he grew up with corporal punishment. He said, "The Principal took it you out into the hall and spanked you if you did something wrong. The fact that this was kind of a joke, and got blown out of proportion is a real problem."
He said the biggest concern is this teacher's reputation moving forward.
"The most upsetting thing is the teacher, I don't think that teacher intended ill will," Daddow said.
Some parents tell us they sometimes make comments to their own kids that could be considered corporal punishment.
Parent Lucy Arreguin told us she would say, "You're dead meat if you don't turn that in." Adding, "I use that too sometimes with the kids saying, 'you'll be dead meat if you don't get here on time,' I told you to get here on time!"
After learning about the incident last week, district leaders say they immediately contacted the Yuba City Police Department, which is the protocol.
The police department is conducting its own investigation into what happened.
