Melissa Carter principal at Clewiston Florida Central Elementary School will not be charged for paddling six year old child after mom requested punishment. Mom hires lawyer.
A Florida elementary school principal caught on viral video beating a six year old girl with a wooden paddle, will not be charged for ‘punishing the student’ according to a state attorney.
The decision not to charge Melissa Carter, principal at Central Elementary School in Lewiston, Hendry County, comes after the child’s mother requested the principal ‘spank’ her misbehaving daughter according to according to Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Abraham R. Thornbury.
The request was made after the child was brought to account for damaging a school computer.
The decision not to press charges has since led to the mother now hiring an attorney according to TheGrio. Of note, it was the mother who released the video of the ‘paddling’, the state’s office reiterated.
State attorneys stated that the mother purposefully omitted her granting permission to the educator in the now ‘edited’ viral video.
A 6yo child in FL. was beaten by her school principal, in front of her mother, for damage she allegedly caused to a computer. ⚠️ this video is graphic. It’s infuriating, outrageous & shocking & the principal is now under criminal investigation. https://t.co/M3cIZeTMKa pic.twitter.com/HPAcbYXlXe
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) May 2, 2021
Edited video released failed to show entire episode
‘It is of note that edited portions of the full video appear to have been cut and released to the media at different times, and have resulted in an incomplete and misleading account of the incident to the public,’ Thornburg wrote in a letter to Sgt. Thomas Lewis of the Clewiston Police Department.
The paddling happened on April 13 after school staffer Celia Self called the un-named mother and told her to bring $50 to the school to pay for damages to school computer equipment.
Deputy Chief Assistant State Attorney Abraham R. Thornbury said the call was conducted in Spanish. The mother was informed her daughter had intentionally damaged the equipment, with the mother responding that she had been damaging things at home as well.
‘Ms. Self further stated that (the mother) then requested that the school spank the child for her, to which Ms. Self replied that she would have to physically come to the school, specifically request such discipline, and be present during the spanking if she wished school staff to do it for her,’ Thornbury wrote. ‘According to both Ms. Carter and Ms. Self, (the mother) then arrived at the school and made that request.’
Corporal punishment in Florida
The girl was hit three times with a paddle and warned that it could happen again if she misbehaved.
‘Both staff members appear to treat the child and her mother with respect throughout this process,’ Thornbury contended in his report.
The child’s mother has obtained an attorney, and Thornbury alleges she has not been cooperative with the police investigation. The un-named mother insists The mom she let the paddling happen because she was afraid and secretly recorded it.
Thornbury notes that in the state of Florida, parents have the right to use corporal punishment on their children and to grant that right to others with their consent.
