Mississippi
msapostille.Com

The use of corporal punishment appears to be declining at Mississippi public schools, according to a newspaper.

The Clarion-Ledger reports that many Mississippi school districts reported less use of corporal punishment last year compared to previous years.

The newspaper reported that of Mississippi's 152 school districts, 100 reported use of corporal punishment to the state Department of Education and more than half of those districts reported decreases in the incidences of corporal punishment.

For example, in the Oktibbeha County School District there were 1,252 incidences of corporal punishment in the 2009-2010 school year. Last year, that number fell to 531.

A federal lawsuit was filed last year to seek a ban on paddling in Mississippi because of alleged gender and racial bias in its use.

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