AFTER 10 YEARS OF SENATE BATTLES, CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IS BANNED IN USVI SCHOOLS

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Senator Janelle Sarauw thanked her colleagues, testifiers, supporting stakeholders, and Governor Albert Bryan for supporting her corporal punishment ban in U.S. Virgin Islands schools, saying that it would promote a more conducive environment for learning.

Bill number 34-0097, now Act 8516, proposed by Senator Sarauw, orders the repeal and reenactment of Title 17 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 11, section 130, authority to discipline pupils in schools; and repealing title 17 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 9, subchapter I, section 87, relating to punishment of pupils by school officials.

In 2013, former Senator Judi Buckley of the 30th Legislature introduced legislation to ban corporal punishment in USVI public schools. Even after moving testimonies, and the presentation of data and statistics, the bill failed to pass the Committee on Rules and Judiciary. The legislation, reintroduced in the 31st Legislature by former Senator Nereida O’Reilly, again saw resistance.

Senator Janelle K. Sarauw first introduced the corporal punishment ban in the 32nd Legislature as part of an omnibus bill [33-0103] coined “The Women, Children and Families Act”, that focused on the holistic care of the family through early detection for children, preventative care, women’s health care initiatives and the ban on corporal punishment in our learning environments, schools.

On session day however, an amendment introduced by a colleague to remove the corporal punishment component of the bill saw heated debate, as Senator Sarauw defended her position for that portion to remain in the bill. The amendment prevailed and Bill No. 33-0103 was passed without the corporal punishment component.

In the 34th Legislature, Senator Sarauw regrouped, revised and re-introduced the corporal punishment ban as a stand-alone legislation. Testimony was presented by the Department of Education, the Board of Education, Former Educator and St. Thomas resident Christina N. Lee Williams, and Nisha de Jean Charles, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and local Psychotherapist.