Parents whose young children are enrolled in an Orlando private Christian school are outraged at a leader associated with the school’s alleged use of corporal punishment.
The individual reportedly used his belt to discipline several students in the class. As a result, two mothers have pulled their children from the school.
“I was hysterical. I had to leave work,” one parent told WESH.
According to reports, on Thursday, Nov. 9, between eight and 12 fourth graders from the St. Mark Preparatory School (also known as the St. Mark AME Church’s Alpha Learning Academy) were physically punished by a leader at the school, Pastor Terence Gray.
The students say the punishment came after one child scribbled on his desk. Upset that the student wrote on a school desk, the teacher sent an aide to get Gray.
Upon arrival, the pastor allegedly “slammed his things down on the desk, took off his belt, and (told them to) line up, and he beat them three times apiece. But she did state, that I believe it was three or four kids that did not get a spanking,” the parent told WESH.
Another report says he asked the children to admit who was acting out, and when they didn’t, a teacher pointed them out and made them stand up to be punished.
“He said he was going to whip us with a belt because we were being bad,” Shane Walker, a student, said.
Multiple students reported the whipping.
One father said he spoke with the staffer about the incident, and he said the “kids volunteered for it” as if it were a game, according to Click Orlando. The dad says the young boy has a bruise from the alleged incident.
“I’ve never had allegations like that at the school. I do know that is something they believe in, but I never actually known it to happen,” mom Tanezia Jackson said in an interview. Another mom, Michelle Payne, added, “It’s one thing if you contact the parent and you’re talking to them about what’s going to happen, but just to go and do something like that, he shouldn’t have done that.”
A concerned mother of a 9-year-old at the school stated that she reviewed the school student manual and found no indication that such disciplinary measures, like whippings, were an accepted practice at the institution.
It’s worth noting, however, that the state allows corporal punishment for children, permitting teachers to administer it with certain restrictions.
Statewide laws on school discipline and regulations express very specific conditions for the use.
“Corporal punishment of a public school student may only be administered by a teacher or school principal within guidelines of the school principal and according to district school board policy,” law 1002.20. K-12 student and parent rights (4) (C) states. “Another adult must be present and must be informed in the student’s presence of the reason for the punishment. Upon request, the teacher or school principal must provide the parent with a written explanation of the reason for the punishment and the name of the other adult who was present.”
According to the law, teachers and staff in any school, subject to law and district school board rules, must maintain order in assigned areas.
While corporal punishment requires general approval from the principal, specific approval for each instance is not mandatory.
However, the law specifically applies to public schools, which St. Mark Preparatory School is not. Also, it is unclear if Gray hired staff and is authorized to discipline children.
“This makes me really emotional. I don’t send my child to school to be abused by anyone. The pastor should have been arrested last night!” Janesha Martin said, according to the Daily Mail. She also noted that she removed her child from the school.
The Orlando Police Department has since opened up an investigation into the incident.
St. Mark Prep Principal Carol Messiah and the pastor have declined to speak about the incident.
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