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Article: Loudoun Case Tests Faith in Corporal Punishment; After Arrest of Principal for Spanking, Christian Schools Defend Old-Fashioned Discipline
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- March 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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When a kindergarten girl at Faith Christian School refused to
join a class game, Principal Lynn Kuitems stepped in -- with a
wooden paddle.
Using a paddle on the buttocks for discipline at the Sterling
religious school wasn't particularly unusual, but what happened next
was: Kuitems was arrested for assault, even though the girl's
parents had given the school written permission to use corporal
punishment if necessary.
The case, which is pending in Loudoun County Juvenile and
Domestic Relations Court, illustrates the murky line between
corporal punishment and abuse. Sheriff's investigators allege that
the paddling, which they said left a large bruise on the girl's
bottom, "far ...