Published February 3, 2014

Washington Post Exposes Corporal Punishment in District Schools in 1930

This article from the April 17th, 1930 issue of The Washington Post exposes corporal punishment in the District's schools. Read more about the shocking incident that was reported to the Board of Education.

-ad 188-

Here’s an interesting article that we dug up from April 17th, 1930, printed in The Washington Post.

Emphatic condemnation of any form of corporal punishment of a child by a teacher in the District schools was voiced yesterday afternoon by the Board of Education following a report on an instance in the Henry D. Cooke School for which a teacher has been transferred and will be reprimanded. In the future teachers who punish pupils in this fashion are liable to dismissal, Charles F. Carusi, president of the board stated.
Dr. J. Hayden Johnson, chairman of the committee on complaints, reported on the incident and recommended that the teacher, Mrs. Lankey Johnson, be formally reproved. An investigation was made by this committee, together with school officials, following a complaint by Lieut. Comdr. Howard H. Good, U. S. N., of 1650 Harvard street.

-ad 197-

The charge, said to have been admitted by the teacher, was that Edward L. Good, 10 years old, had been pierced with a rusty pen on the hand March 10 when he was inattentive. Mrs. Johnson defended her action on the ground that she was distracted at the time.

Yeesh, pierced by a rusty pen? I hope little Eddie had his tetanus shots!