Bill > HB269

This bill amends Mississippi law to completely prohibit corporal punishment in all public and charter schools, removing previous language that allowed "reasonable" use of physical force to maintain discipline. The bill eliminates existing provisions that permitted teachers, principals, and assistant principals to use physical force for maintaining control, enforcing school rules, or protecting students from disruptive behavior. Under the new law, any school employee who administers corporal punishment will be held liable for civil damages suffered by a student as a result of such punishment, and they will no longer have the previous legal protections that shielded them from liability unless they acted in "bad faith" or with "malicious purpose". The bill also removes the previous subsection that specifically addressed corporal punishment for students with disabilities, effectively extending the prohibition to all students. The new law will take effect on July 1, 2025, giving schools and personnel time to adjust to the new policy of completely prohibiting physical punishment as a disciplinary method.