Springfield, IL – Today, State Representative Margaret Croke’s legislation banning corporal punishment in Illinois’ private schools passed out of the House. The bill, which now heads to the Illinois Senate, would amend the School Code to implement the same restrictions on corporal punishment in private schools that all Illinois public schools are already subject to.
“This legislation protecting Illinois students in private schools is long overdue, and I’m grateful to see it pass the House today. It’s unacceptable that private school students could potentially be subject to this harmful behavior without any repercussions. It’s time to update the School Code to protect them,” said State Representative Margaret Croke. “I look forward to seeing this legislation pass the Senate and become law to ensure our schools, both public and private, are safe spaces for our children.”
HB4175 would prohibit nonpublic schools from engaging in slapping or paddling a student, the prolonged maintenance of a student in a physically painful position and the intentional infliction of bodily harm on a student. Throughout her time in office, Rep. Croke has been dedicated to ensuring our children are safe at school, including championing legislation in 2023 to update existing cyberbullying statute to expand the definition of bullying to add additional protected characteristics, create new requirements for the Illinois State Board of Education to collect data about the issue, and guarantee parents and guardians are notified about incidents within 24 hours when it occurs.
Corporal punishment was banned in Illinois public schools in 1994. Passing Rep. Croke’s legislation would make Illinois the fifth state in the nation to ban the practice in private schools, following in the footsteps of New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Iowa. Allowing corporal punishment in schools can lead to students experiencing depression, anxiety, low self-esteem and lessening chances for success both in school and later in life.
Additional information about HB4175 can be found at ILGA.gov.