Ingraham+v.+Wright

The events leading up to the trial took place in the 1970-1971 school year at Drew Junior High School in Dade County, Florida. In October of 1970 eighth grade student James Ingraham was “slow to a teacher’s instructions”. As a punishment, Ingraham received 20 licks (or blows) with a paddle while being held over a table in the principal’s office. The paddling was so harsh that Ingraham had to receive medical attention for hematoma (a pool of blood in the buttocks) and missed several days of school.  Later in October, school officials paddled Roosevelt Andrews for breaking minor school rules. On a few occasions, the school had paddled Andrews on his arms, and one of those paddlings had been so brutal that he lost full use of his arm for a week.  Other students at Drew Junior High School also had received overly severe. For example, one student got 50 licks for making an obscene telephone call.
 * Ingraham V. Wright **
 * Background **

 In early 1970, Florida Law made it legal for public schools to us corporal punishments in order to maintain discipline. In Dade County, local law said school officials could punish students with a flat, wooden paddle measuring less than 2 feet long, 3-4 inches wide, and ½ inch thick. The local law also said that school officials had a limit of 1-5 licks per student on the buttocks that resulted in no apparent physical injuries to the student. The teachers were supposed to receive permission from a school principal prior to using corporal punishments. Schools supposedly viewed that corporal punishments were “less dramatic means of discipline” than suspensions or expulsion. Teachers, though, often didn’t follow the rules completely for corporal punishments. For example, teachers often didn’t get permission for the punishment and usually used more than 5 licks.  This complaint was filed on January 7th in 1971 in the Untied States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The petition’s claim was that school officials at Drew Junior High School had violated the 8th and 14th amendment by spanking them. The lawsuit was filed against the principals of the school and the superintendent of the Dade County School System. The students thought the school had violated the 8th Amendment by using cruel and unusual punishments and also the 15th Amendment by paddling them without having a hearing first. The students had hoped to recover damages and prevent the school from using corporal punishments in the future. Their case’s evidence consisted of basically the testimony of 16 other students at Drew Junior High, which suggested that the rule at Drew was exceptionally harsh.
 * Facts of the Case **

__Petitioners __ (Person who brings case to the government): James Ingraham and Roosevelt Andrews __Respondent __(Person who has to respond to petition): Willie J. Wright, et al __Chief Lawyer of Petitioners __: Bruce S. Rogow __Chief Lawyer of Respondent __<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">: Frank A. Howard, Jr. __<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Justices of the Court __<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">: Harry A. Blackman Jr., Warren E. Burger, Lewis F. Powell Jr., William H. Rehnquist, Potter Stewart __<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Justices Dissenting __<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">(“ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Dissenting means that for one reason or another a judge in an appellate or a justice in a Supreme Court case disagrees with the decision of the majority of the other judges. The justice or justices dissenting will usually write a dissenting opinion to go along with the main court opinion. The dissenting opinion will state reasons why the dissenting justices disagree with the majority decision.”): William J. Brennan Jr., Thrugood Marshall, John Paul Stevens, Byron R. White
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Players (People Involved) **

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">First, the trial court dismissed these students’s lawsuit, but the court of appeals affirmed, so the students took the case to Supreme Court
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Lower Court Decision **

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">The Supreme Court dismissed the case on April 19, 1977, and said that the student’s constitutional rights were not violated. Supreme Court said that corporal punishments are not a cruel and unusual punishment. The 8th Amendment says "Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted." Court said bails, fines, and punishment are part of the justice system and that public schools aren’t apart of the justice system sot they do not have to obey the 8th amendment. They also said that schools have the right to give corporal punishments without giving the students the right to explain their conduct or defend themselves. If a student were to be injured by a corporal punishment, then they have the right to press civil or criminal charges against the school. Rogow (Ingraham & Andrews lawyer) urged that the court should apply 8th amendment to public schools he said it was absurd to “protect criminals but not school children” from cruel and unusual punishments. Court rejected Rogow’s argument. Rogow also argued that schools should have to give students a hearing and chance to defend themselves before using corporal punishment, since Supreme Court said that schools have to give students notice and hearing before suspending them to school for up to 10 days. So students should get the same right before being paddled. Supreme Court also rejected this statement. Since students who are injured severely from paddlings can press charges, they said that was enough to protect students who receive beating that are too severe or harsh and that forcing schools to hold hearing for every case would be too time consuming and cost too much money
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Other Court Decision **

<span style="font-family: 'book antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;"> After the Supreme Court decided this case, 2 states outlawed corporal punishments in schools. In the 1990’s, 21 other states also banned the practice.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Results of Decisions **

<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua','serif'; font-size: 13px;">Miranda Mann