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Georgia mom: Tears, regret over kindergartner’s paddling

MONTICELLO, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia mother says video of a school principal holding her kindergartner down for a paddling as he screams and tries to get away brings her to tears.

Shana Perez says she now regrets giving the public school permission to paddle her 5-year-old boy as a form of discipline.

WSB-TV aired video of the boy struggling with a woman Perez identified as his principal (2wsb.tv/1Wvsuzu). The clips show the woman holding a large paddle at one point, but don’t show the boy being struck.

Perez says she videotaped the discipline Wednesday, and that her son was being punished for spitting at another student.

The Jasper County School District, about 50 miles southeast of Atlanta, says it can’t comment on this case, but said children are paddled only with parental consent.

Bible stories are approved as required reading in Texas public schools

DALLAS (AP) — Texas' education board on Friday approved a required reading list for more than 5 million public school students that includes Bible stories, widening conservative efforts to bring Christian teachings into U.S. classrooms. The state-mandated list of assigned reading — which includes Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” and excerpts from the New Testament — appeared to be among the first of its kind of the nation and will take effect starting in 2030.
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