Title 20, Chapter 2, Section 731
( 20-2-731)
An area, county, or independent board of education may, upon the
adoption of written policies, authorize any principal or teacher
employed by the board to administer, in the exercise of his sound
discretion, corporal punishment on any pupil or pupils placed under
his supervision in order to maintain proper control and discipline.
Any such authorization shall be subject to the following
requirements: (1) The corporal punishment shall not be excessive or unduly
severe; (2) Corporal punishment shall never be used as a first line of
punishment for misbehavior unless the pupil was informed
beforehand that specific misbehavior could occasion its use;
provided, however, that corporal punishment may be employed as a
first line of punishment for those acts of misconduct which are so
antisocial or disruptive in nature as to shock the conscience; (3) Corporal punishment must be administered in the presence of a
principal or assistant principal, or the designee of the principal
or assistant principal, employed by the board of education
authorizing such punishment, and the other principal or assistant
principal, or the designee of the principal or assistant
principal, must be informed beforehand and in the presence of the
pupil of the reason for the punishment; (4) The principal or teacher who administered corporal punishment
must provide the child's parent, upon request, a written
explanation of the reasons for the punishment and the name of the
principal or assistant principal, or designee of the principal or
assistant principal, who was present; provided, however, that such
an explanation shall not be used as evidence in any subsequent
civil action brought as a result of the corporal punishment; and (5) Corporal punishment shall not be administered to a child whose
parents or legal guardian has upon the day of enrollment of the
pupil filed with the principal of the school a statement from a
medical doctor licensed in Georgia stating that it is detrimental
to the child's mental or emotional stability. |