Dear Source:
I wanted to bring this information to the attention of everybody because I was unaware that corporal punishment was allowed in 21 states as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands. As most of you know, I took my son Roman out of private school and entered him into the Public School system so he could get the special services he needed which public schools are to provide "required by law."
We were recently made aware that Roman has been being beaten with a wooden paddle by his school principal and hit with a ruler by his teacher. Needless to say, John and I were both shocked and went directly to the school principal with this information, which she confirmed. She did refuse to show us the paddle. After calling the Superintendent of Education, she confirmed that Corporal Punishment is in fact still in the VI Code but that the Principals know it is not condoned and is unacceptable.
I have spent every waking moment since I was made aware of this barbaric act against children researching Corporal Punishment and will not stop until this brutal and archaic practice is abolished. I have joined forces with the organization called PTAVE (Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education) and our goal is to get Corporal Punishment abolished nationwide as well as in the US Virgin Islands. The petition below is to President Obama and I ask you all to please click on the link below and sign this petition.
I also have a petition to the USVI Legislators urging the immediate ban of corporal punishment in all schools in the United States Virgin Islands. The letter to the legislature is posted in Starfish Market as well as Baked in the Sun. You can send your name petitioning to abolish VI Code 17.11.130 to romans_rule@earthlink.net. If you would like a copy of the petition I will email it to you upon request.
I read this quote by President Elect Obama on the website change.gov:
"Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little better than the one we inhabit today." President Elect Barak Obama
I believe it is time for a change.
Colleen A. Spinale
St. John
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