Oklahoma Watch

A yearslong legislative effort to ban Oklahoma teachers and support staff from using physical force to discipline students with severe disabilities has prevailed.  Senate Bill 364 by Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, and Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, cleared the House on a 63-25 vote on Wednesday. It now heads to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk for consideration. The State Department of Education passed a rule in 2020 banning corporal punishment of children with significant disabilities. Still, child welfare advocates argue the rule isn’t broad enough and that codification in state law is needed to adequately protect students. In September 2023, KFOR reported that 43 school districts used corporal punishment on students with disabilities during the 2021-2022 school year.  “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,” Rader said in a statement after the bill passed the Senate in late February.