Based on a Supreme Court ruling handed down in 1977, states have authority over the issue of corporal punishment in schools. Most states have banned it in public school settings. However, the practice is still legal (though sometimes restricted) in 17 states as of August 2023, and only three states—Iowa, New Jersey and Maryland—have banned physical discipline in private schools. The latest estimate from the National Center for Education Statistics suggests that more than 70,000 public school kids face physical punishment at least once during the school year

How fucked up is this. The supreme court ruled to leave the issue up to the states. “States rights” is how the supreme court ended Roe v. Wade too.