Springtown (Texas) High School sophomore Taylor Santos had a difficult decision to make after her teacher determined that she allowed a classmate to copy her work: she could either serve two days of in-school suspension, or get paddled.

She chose the former. But after day one of the suspension, Santos, a straight-A student who says she had no idea she was being copied, realized that she was falling too far behind on her work. So she changed her mind and opted for the paddling.

Texas is one of 20 states that still allow corporal punishment. However, Santos's school district specifically states that any paddling should be done by a teacher or administrator of the same sex. That's not what happened when Santos was called in for her discipline. Instead a male vice principal doled out the punishment as a female administrator observed.

Two full days after the paddling, the 15-year-old's bottom showed signs of the swatting. "It was bright red," Taylor said. "I still have welts on me today."

Her mother, Anna Jorgensen, had initially approved the corporal punishment but became "unglued" when she learned a man was responsible for her daughter's surprising injuries. She complained to the school, but rather than apologize, the district's superintendent is now proposing to abolish the same-gender spanking policy because it is difficult for some schools to follow it, given their male-to-female staff ratio.

"I think Taylor is proof that we need to keep that policy," argued Jorgensen. "Men are too big and strong to be hitting 96-pound girls."

[WFAA]

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