Texas schools can still paddle students — and one Port Arthur mother’s allegations raise questions

By Investigative Reporter Tammy Rose

A Texas mother says a football coach paddled her teenage son three times at school. Photos shared online appear to show significant bruising afterward.

The allegation may shock many parents.

However, Texas school corporal punishment remains legal in 2026.

Texas law allows public school districts to adopt policies that permit paddling and other physical punishment. Parents can prohibit the punishment, but they generally must give the district written notice.

The Port Arthur case now raises a larger question.

Where does school discipline end and physical injury begin?

Mother says football coach paddled her son

Grizzy’s Hood News reported the allegations Sunday after speaking with the student’s mother.

The mother said her son attends Memorial High School in Port Arthur.

According to the post, the teenager missed football practice Friday. His mother said she had recently suffered injuries in a serious car crash and could not provide transportation.

She said her son explained the situation to his coaches.

The mother alleges several adults later stood inside an office while her son bent over a table. She says a football coach then struck him three times.

She also alleges coaches cited other issues. Those included communication problems and wearing the wrong color football pants.

The mother says her son did not know someone planned to strike him.

A photograph published with the report shows dark discoloration and bruising on the student’s body.

Grizzy’s Hood News reported that the mother contacted police and filed a report.

The coach and Port Arthur Independent School District had not provided their accounts when the story appeared. No criminal charges had been announced.

The allegations have not yet received independent confirmation.

Texas law still allows corporal punishment in schools

This is the part that may surprise Texas parents.

State law specifically allows school districts to authorize corporal punishment.

The Texas Education Code defines corporal punishment as deliberately causing physical pain through actions such as hitting, paddling, spanking or slapping for discipline.

However, a school cannot simply decide on its own to start paddling students.

The district’s board of trustees must adopt a policy allowing corporal punishment.

Parents also have the right to stop a district from using corporal punishment on their child.

But Texas uses what amounts to an opt-out system.

A parent or guardian can submit a signed written statement prohibiting corporal punishment. The prohibition applies during that school year unless the parent later revokes it.

That distinction matters in the Port Arthur case.

The mother’s claim that she never signed a consent form does not automatically prove the school violated Texas law.

The bigger question involves Port Arthur ISD’s own policy.

What does Port Arthur ISD allow?

Memorial High School belongs to Port Arthur Independent School District. It serves as the district’s high school.

The district directs students and parents to a Student Code of Conduct for discipline rules. Memorial’s school pages also explain that the code follows Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code. (Memorial 9th Grade Academy)

What if a parent caused the same bruising?

The case also highlights an uncomfortable comparison.

Texas allows parents to use reasonable physical force to discipline their children.

Texas Penal Code Section 9.61 says a parent, stepparent or person acting in the role of a parent may use non-deadly force when that person reasonably believes the force is necessary to discipline the child or protect the child’s welfare.

That does not give parents unlimited authority to hurt a child.

Police can investigate physical discipline when officers believe the force may have crossed the line into criminal conduct.

Bruising alone does not automatically prove a crime. The child’s age, amount of force, circumstances and extent of any injury can all matter.

The same basic question should matter when an adult at a school uses physical punishment.

How much force is too much?

Paddling remains controversial in Texas

Texas has debated ending corporal punishment in public schools for years.

A Texas Tribune investigation previously found that nearly 13,000 Texas students received corporal punishment during the 2017-18 school year. The report also found that Black students and students with disabilities received corporal punishment at disproportionate rates.

Lawmakers have introduced proposals to restrict or eliminate the practice.

Still, Texas law continues to allow school boards to authorize it.

That means a practice many parents associate with another generation can still happen inside a Texas public school today.

Port Arthur ISD responds to corporal punishment controversy

Port Arthur ISD responded to the controversy on Aug. 18, saying the district is reviewing the reported use of corporal punishment involving a Memorial High School student.

The district said corporal punishment is currently an authorized discipline technique under its Board-approved policy and Student Code of Conduct.

Under that policy, PAISD said parents do not have to give written permission before corporal punishment can be used. Instead, a parent who does not want corporal punishment used on their child must submit a signed written statement to the campus principal prohibiting it for that school year.

PAISD said it is reviewing the reported incident to determine what happened and whether district policies and procedures were followed.

The district also acknowledged concerns surrounding corporal punishment and said the Board of Trustees will revisit the policy to determine whether changes or additional procedures are appropriate.

Superintendent Dr. Mark Porterie said the district remains committed to student safety and to ensuring discipline is administered fairly and consistently.

The district’s statement did not announce any disciplinary action against the coach or any criminal charges related to the reported incident.

Should hitting students with a paddle still have a place in Texas public schools in 2026?

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