PARENTS FUMING OVER CITY VIEW PADDLING
KFDX News Center 3, September 7, 2004

Some parents in City View say the high school coaching staff was out of line when they paddled four freshman on Friday. Three parents of 9th grade City View High School football players showed up before the start of school today, hoping to meet with the school`s principal about a coach`s punishment of their sons. The parents say their sons were paddled Friday by an one of the junior varsity coaches with so much force, it left marks and bruises on the boys.

This afternoon, two of the boys` parents met with the principal to get some answers. William Barton, a City View parent says, "We`re wondering why they`re using a 3 inch board that isn`t even a paddle which leaves marks on these kids to begin with. Why are coaches are being allowed to paddle the kids, especially right before a game when they`re all hyped up."

City View`s principal, Steve Harris, met with two of the parents about Friday`s incident this afternoon. We spoke with those parents at the high school today and these parents actually support corporal punishment.

The parents we spoke with say they signed off on City View High School`s code of conduct at the start of the year, knowing full well teachers can paddle students at their discretion. But they say what happened on Friday after their son`s practice, crossed the line between punishment and abuse.

Just after sunrise, three fathers showed up at City View high school for a one on one with the school`s principal. They wanted to know who will answer for the marks they found on their sons when they got home from work Friday night.

"If I`d left those marks on him, I`d be in jail or he`d be in a foster home." Robert Entrekin supports corporal punishment, but he says this time, the force used on his son for what he said was horseplay among the players, went way over the line. Robert Entrekin says, "20 hours later our children still had marks on them. So yes, definitely, someone exceeded the limits of corporal punishment.

Another parent called the police when he saw the marks and bruises on his son left from the paddling. William Barton, father of City View high school Student: "When the officer took the report, I asked `If you saw these marks on my son and someone said, I whooped my son, what would you do? She said sir, I`d have to arrest you. I said then I rest my case."

Barton and Entrekin says their sons` coaches violated a trust and from now on they want to be informed before their sons are punished. Mr Barton says, "I`d like to see these coaches never be able to teach again, never be able to lay a paddle on them again. Robert Entrekin says, "I appreciate these teachers here. I`m glad they take the time and patience to deal with these kids. But somebody didn`t Friday. Somebody beat my child."

City View`s principal told us he`s meeting with coaches this week and if school policy was violated, disciplinary action will be taken. Wichita Falls detectives are also investigating the paddlings. They will turn their findings over to the D.A.`s office.