Many students at Drew had similar stories. The principals continued to beat the children after their parents objected. The parents decided to sue. They claimed that the school discipline violated the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. They also claimed that the paddling violated the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment because the students did not get some kind of hearing to determine whether they had violated the rules.

Decision.

The Supreme Court announced its decision in the case on 19 April 1977. The Court decided with a five-to-four vote that the schools could paddle children. The Court also decided that requiring hearings would disrupt the school atmosphere and the value of the immediacy of discipline.

Limiting the Due-Process Revolution.

In allowing corporal punishment the Supreme Court was in accord with what many Americans believed. Eighty percent...