Local

Teacher reprimanded for spanking student on birthday

NEWLAND, N.C. — An Avery County teacher who Channel 9 is not identifying was reprimanded after an incident that was caught on a student's cellphone in March during a class at Avery County High School.
 
School Superintendent David Burleson said the teacher was giving the student a birthday spanking and it was meant in fun. In the cellphone video, it shows the student lying across the teacher's lap at a desk with students laughing in the background.
 
Burleson said a student in the class showed the video to another teacher and that led to questions.
 
The superintendent said the long-time teacher was not suspended but was given a verbal and written reprimand, and told that it could not happen again.  
 
That was in line with the legal counsel given to school officials about how to properly handle the incident, Burleson said.
 
The teacher met with the principal and the superintendent.
 
Students at the school said they felt the incident was a joke and they didn't take it seriously.
 
School officials said the student who was lying across the teacher's lap was playing along, and was not offended or humiliated.
 
The teacher seen in that video spoke to Channel 9 Thursday but she did not want to comment.

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