Oklahoma law now bans corporal punishment for students with disabilities
May 09, 2025 | 1:24 pm ET
Description
Lori Wathen holds a paddle printed with the word "no" to oppose the practice of corporal punishment in schools before an interim study on the subject on Oct. 21. A ban on corporal punishment of students with disabilities has become law. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY — A new Oklahoma law will prohibit schools from inflicting physical pain as punishment for students with disabilities.
Although the practice is already banned in the state’s regulations for schools, attempts by the Oklahoma Legislature to add the rule to state law failed in previous years. State law had barred schools from using corporal punishment on students only with “the most significant cognitive disabilities.”
Senate Bill 364 extends the corporal punishment prohibition to students with any type of disability defined in a federal law known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday permitted SB 364 to take effect without his signature. The bill had passed the state Senate in a 31-16 vote and the House 63-25 after lengthy debates in both chambers.
It outlaws the “deliberate infliction of physical pain by hitting, paddling, spanking, slapping or any other physical force” as a method of discipline for students with disabilities.
“While many schools already prohibit corporal punishment, there are still instances where it is used against children who may struggle to control their behavior or grasp the consequences of their actions,” said Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, an author of SB 364.
Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, has been an outspoken opponent of the measure. He said the bill was overbroad because it extends to students who have no type of cognitive disability. He said it also limits parents’ choice to decide how schools should discipline their children.
State law previously allowed parents to waive the corporal punishment ban by giving written consent. SB 364 removes that provision.
More than 100 school districts in Oklahoma permit corporal punishment.
The rate of students disciplined with this method has declined nationwide, and 27 states ban the practice entirely, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Students with disabilities were overrepresented among the children who experienced corporal punishment at school, as were Black and Indigenous students, federal data shows.
Oklahoma City, OK