Springfield, IL – Today, State Representative Margaret Croke’s legislation banning corporal punishment in Illinois’ private schools passed out of the Senate and is now headed to Governor JB Pritzker’s desk to be signed into law. The bill will amend the School Code to implement the same restrictions on corporal punishment in private schools that all Illinois public schools are already subject to.
“No child in our state should be subject to corporal punishment in their school, and I’m proud that the Senate voted in favor of our students’ safety and passed this commonsense measure,” said State Representative Margaret Croke. “Allowing these types of punishments is unacceptable and harmful to young people, with proven long-lasting implications. I’m grateful to see this legislation head to the Governor’s desk to ensure that both public and private schools throughout Illinois are safe spaces for our children.”
Once signed, HB4175 will 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. The passage of Rep. Croke’s legislation makes 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.