Senate Bill 714 would prohibit corporal punishment in North Carolina public schools. The bill rewrites the existing corporal punishment statute so that corporal punishment is no longer an option for public school units, while preserving the distinction that physical restraint under federal law and state law, and reasonable force under existing school-safety provisions, are not considered corporal punishment. It also updates related discipline statutes to conform to that ban.
The bill would require school systems and the State Board of Education to continue tracking and reporting discipline data, including any corporal punishment incidents, suspensions, expulsions, reassignment for disciplinary reasons, and alternative placements. It also requires annual reporting of disaggregated data by race, gender, grade level, ethnicity, and disability status, and it repeals a civil-liability statute tied to corporal punishment. The act would take effect when it becomes law and apply beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would change North Carolina law by eliminating local discretion over whether corporal punishment may be used in public schools and making it categorically prohibited statewide. It would amend multiple provisions in Chapter 115C to align discipline rules for general education students and students with disabilities, and it would expand or preserve reporting obligations for school units and the State Board of Education regarding discipline outcomes. The repeal of G.S. 6-21.4 would remove a statute related to civil actions arising from corporal punishment, though the bill preserves claims arising from conduct that occurred before the effective date.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broadly supportive framing in the text itself, which cites research against corporal punishment and notes that major education and child-advocacy organizations, including the State Board of Education and the North Carolina PTA, favor prohibition. The bill also states that none of the state’s local school administrative units currently allow corporal punishment, suggesting the measure would largely codify existing practice. No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no recorded legislative debate or roll-call sentiment in the supplied materials.
Contention
The main policy issue is whether corporal punishment should be formally banned rather than left to local school board discretion. The bill’s opponents, if any, would likely focus on preserving local control or on the possibility that schools should retain a disciplinary option for rare cases, while supporters would emphasize child welfare, research on harm, and consistency with current practice. Another possible point of concern is the bill’s data-reporting requirements, including reporting by race, gender, ethnicity, and disability status, which may raise privacy or administrative burden questions even though the bill requires FERPA compliance.