Bill Prohibiting Corporal Punishment For Children With Disabilities Clears Oklahoma House

The future of corporal punishment on students was up for a vote again on the Oklahoma House floor on Monday. House Bill 1028 failed on the House floor last Tuesday, but an amended version passed on Monday.  

The bill would eliminate a parent’s ability to give school staff permission to use corporal punishment, like spanking, if their child has “significant cognitive disabilities”. 

One parent of a special needs child said no child deserves physical punishment.

“She just turned 22 last week,” said Lisa Kelly, talking about her daughter Madison. “She’s a great kid. She’s taught me a lot.”  

That’s why House Bill 1028 matters to Kelly.  

“Corporal punishment I don’t believe is what we want,” Kelly said. 

Kelly is the Chief Executive Officer of The Arc of Oklahoma, an organization that sticks up for the human rights of Oklahomans with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“One child is too many in my opinion,” Kelly said about corporal punishment. 

The Oklahoma State Department of Education found only 63 districts use corporal punishment.   

“If the numbers are so low, why do we even have it then?” Kelly said. 

Oklahoma law prevents school staff from using corporal punishment on students with “the most significant cognitive disabilities” unless parents give the school permission.  

“If a parent doesn’t believe in corporal punishment, then they wouldn’t allow it,” said Representative Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, on the House floor on Monday. 

Kelly said this current law didn’t protect Madison.

“My child coming home with bruises and her not being able to communicate to me where they come from,” Kelly said. 

Kelly still doesn’t have answers.

“It’s very hard when that happens, and you lose your trust,” Kelly said.

House Bill 1028 would remove the option for parents of children with these cognitive disabilities – prohibiting corporal punishment for those students altogether. 

Kelly said some children don’t have parents who have their best interests at heart. Children, she said, she’ll fight to protect.

“To stand up for those students who don’t have a voice and don’t have a family or caregiver that can speak up for them,” Kelly said.

Kelly wears her heart on her sleeve for her daughter Madison and for others.  

“She’s taught me more than I could have ever learned without her,” Kelly said.

HB 1028 still has a long way to go. The bill now goes to the Senate for their consideration, and then it would go to Gov. Stitt’s desk before it becomes law.