Legal loophole a slap in the face to students
‘The Queensland government says there is no reason to change the law after a court found a teacher could legally slap a student in the face.
An assault charge against a Gold Coast high school teacher who admitted slapping a year eight student in class was thrown out yesterday.
The magistrate accepted the teacher was practising “domestic discipline” – a law that allows a teacher to use reasonable force “by way of correction, discipline, management or control”.
Southport Magistrates Court was told Upper Coomera State College teacher Justin Ransfield, 37, slapped Aidan Pascoe, 14, in the classroom in December 2006.
The court heard Ransfield and the student clashed physically after the boy disobeyed a direction to start work.’
