22.1-279.1 - Corporal punishment prohibited. - Virginia Statutes

§ 22.1-279.1. Corporal punishment prohibited.

A. No teacher, principal or other person employed by a school board oremployed in a school operated by the Commonwealth shall subject a student tocorporal punishment. This prohibition of corporal punishment shall not bedeemed to prevent (i) the use of incidental, minor or reasonable physicalcontact or other actions designed to maintain order and control; (ii) the useof reasonable and necessary force to quell a disturbance or remove a studentfrom the scene of a disturbance which threatens physical injury to persons ordamage to property; (iii) the use of reasonable and necessary force toprevent a student from inflicting physical harm on himself; (iv) the use ofreasonable and necessary force for self-defense or the defense of others; or(v) the use of reasonable and necessary force to obtain possession of weaponsor other dangerous objects or controlled substances or paraphernalia whichare upon the person of the student or within his control.

B. In determining whether a person was acting within the exceptions providedin this section, due deference shall be given to reasonable judgments at thetime of the event which were made by a teacher, principal or other personemployed by a school board or employed in a school operated by theCommonwealth.

C. For the purposes of this section, "corporal punishment" means theinfliction of, or causing the infliction of, physical pain on a student as ameans of discipline.

This definition shall not include physical pain, injury or discomfort causedby the use of incidental, minor or reasonable physical contact or otheractions designed to maintain order and control as permitted in subdivision(i) of subsection A of this section or the use of reasonable and necessaryforce as permitted by subdivisions (ii), (iii), (iv), and (v) of subsection Aof this section, or by participation in practice or competition in aninterscholastic sport, or participation in physical education or anextracurricular activity.

(1989, c. 287; 1995, c. 681.)