Springfield, IL – Today, State Representative Margaret Croke’s legislation banning corporal punishment in private Illinois schools passed out of the House Elementary & Secondary Education: School Curriculum & Policies Committee with bipartisan support. The bill would amend the School Code to implement the same restrictions on corporal punishment in private schools that all Illinois public schools are already subject to.
“When I found out that corporal punishment was not banned in private schools in Illinois, I knew I had to take action to ensure that all our state’s schools prohibited this unacceptable behavior,” said State Representative Margaret Croke. “No child should be afraid of having their safety compromised at school, and I’m grateful to see this bill pass out of committee today. As we see some of our neighboring states move to allow corporal punishment in their schools, we must send a message that all our students will be protected from this horrific behavior, whether they attend public or private school.”
If passed, HB4175 would prohibit nonpublic schools from engaging in slapping or paddling a student, the prolonged maintenance of a student in a physically painful position and the intentional infliction of bodily harm on a student. Throughout her time in office, Rep. Croke has been dedicated to ensuring our children are safe at school, including championing legislation in 2023 to update existing cyberbullying statute to expand the definition of bullying to add additional protected characteristics, create new requirements for the Illinois State Board of Education to collect data about the issue, and guarantee parents and guardians are notified about incidents within 24 hours when it occurs.
Corporal punishment was banned in Illinois public schools in 1994. Passing Rep. Croke’s legislation would make Illinois the fifth state in the nation to ban the practice in private schools, following in the footsteps of New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Iowa. Allowing corporal punishment in schools can lead to students experiencing depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and lessening chances for success both in school and later in life.
Additional information about HB4112 can be found at ILGA.gov.