Baker v. Owen
United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina
395 F. Supp. 294 (1975)
- Written by Rich Walter, JD
Facts
A sixth-grade teacher paddled her pupil, Russell Carl Baker (plaintiff), for disobeying a rule against throwing kickballs. According to a state law authorizing teachers to use reasonable physical force in maintaining school discipline, the teacher was within her rights to paddle Baker. Baker’s mother (plaintiff), however, was opposed to corporal punishment on principle. The Bakers sued the school principal, W. C. Owen (defendant), for violating the son’s rights under the United States Constitution. As a threshold matter, the federal district court found that Baker’s paddling did not constitute cruel or unusual punishment that violated the Eighth Amendment.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Craven, J.)
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