Florida law requiring parental consent for in-school corporal punishment won’t impact Brevard

Florida Today | By Finch Walker | June 5, 2025

In some Florida schools, kids can be hit as a form of discipline. It’s not new — the only difference is that now, effective July 1, districts employing the controversial practice will have to get parental permission before carrying out any kind of corporal punishment.

Not every district in Florida uses corporal punishment, a permissible form of discipline in schools according to state statute 1003.32. In Brevard Public Schools, however, district policy “strictly prohibits” this type of punishment, said Spokesperson Janet Murnaghan.

“There are no plans to revise this policy,” she said.

For the districts using physical punishment, the new law — House Bill 1255 — requires that parents give consent before an educator is allowed to discipline their child in such a way.

The law came after a four-year push by University of Florida students who were concerned about a case in Levy County of a student being hit without their parents’ consent, according to reporting by WFTV9.

Here’s a look at what the law says, and what it does — and doesn’t — mean for Brevard.

What does Florida’s new law say?

House Bill 1255, which goes into effect July 1, says that teachers and other school employees cannot use corporal punishment without parental consent.

Not every school district allows corporal punishment. If a district does allow it, the policy needs to include a requirement for parents to provide consent for schools to administer corporal punishment, according to HB 1255. The law adds that the policy can require consent for the entire school year or prior to each administration of punishment.

Does Brevard Public Schools allow corporal punishment?

No, corporal punishment is prohibited under Brevard Public School Policy 5630, which was initially adopted by the board in 2002 and was most recently revised in March 2025. According to the policy, corporal punishment is not allowed, but disciplinary measures like timeout, peer review or other forms of positive reinforcement should be used to encourage appropriate classroom behavior.

The policy also addresses the use of “reasonable force and restraint,” which is allowed to be used to stop a potential physical injury, obtain a weapon or other dangerous item, in self-defense or to protect others.

Will Brevard revisit the policy in light of new law?

Murnaghan said corporal punishment is forbidden in Brevard’s schools and that the policy won’t be revisited.

When asked if the school board planned to revisit the policy, Katye Campbell was the only board member to respond to FLORIDA TODAY’s request for comment.

“Policy 5630 specifically prohibits corporal punishment, so this new law won’t have an effect here in Brevard,” she said. “We reviewed all policies in 2023, including this one, and it is not something that we considered changing.”

Talk of corporal punishment hot topic in 2022

Talks of corporal punishment returning to Brevard’s schools surged in late 2022 after Sheriff Wayne Ivey held a press conference outside the Brevard County Jail warning students that a “brand new day” of discipline was coming to the school district. In the video, Ivey — who was flanked by then-Board Chair Matt Susin and then-State Attorney Phil Archer — said that part of the reason students behaved badly in school was because “they know … they’re not going to have the cheeks of their ass torn off for not doing right in class.”

The video made national news and sparked outrage among community members, with parents raising concerns that Ivey was advocating for a return to the use of corporal punishment.

At a meeting in December 2022, however, Susin reassured community members that would not be the case.

“There will be no talk of bringing back corporal punishment. Period,” he said.