School says it has "right" to beat student

Fyffe High School in northeastern Alabama thinks it can award itself "rights" it doesn't rightly have.

The public school in DeKalb County has ordered a student to be paddled for the capital offense of (get this) being in possession of her cell phone on the school bus after school.

In an era in which everyone is laughed at unless they have a cell phone, having your phone on the school bus is suddenly considered a major offense?

An equally important point is that the girl's parents never gave the school permission to use corporal punishment. Despite this, the school is claiming it has a "right" to paddle students whether the parents approve or not.

Strange. I don't see that in the Bill of Rights anywhere.

Even if the parents gave permission, paddling isn't exactly effective disciplinary policy. (My middle school was proof of that.) Then again, schools grant themselves a lot of "rights" they don't have.

At minimum, there should be a lawsuit against the school. If I was the parent, however, the school would be damn lucky to get off with just a lawsuit.

(Source: http://www.waaytv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9795082)