Ingraham v. Wright 1977

AuthorDaniel Brannen, Richard Hanes, Elizabeth Shaw
Pages420-425

Page 420

Petitioners: James Ingraham and Roosevelt Andrews

Respondents: Willie J. Wright, et al.

Petitioners' Claim: That officials at Drew Junior High School violated the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments by spanking them.

Chief Lawyer for Petitioners: Bruce S. Rogow

Chief Lawyer for Respondents: Frank A. Howard, Jr.

Justices for the Court: Harry A. Blackmun, Warren E. Burger, Lewis F. Powell, Jr., William H. Rehnquist, Potter Stewart

Justices Dissenting: William J. Brennan, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, John Paul Stevens, Byron R. White

Date of Decision: April 19, 1977

Decision: The Supreme Court dismissed the case against Drew Junior High School, saying the school did not violate the students' constitutional rights.

Significance: With Ingraham, the Court said corporal punishment, or spanking, is not cruel and unusual punishment. It also said schools can use corporal punishment without giving students a chance to explain their conduct or otherwise defend themselves. If a student is injured by corporal punishment, he may file civil or criminal charges against the school.

Page 421

The American justice system is supposed to be fair. When a person is accused of breaking a law, fairness means giving him notice of the charges against him. Fairness also means holding a hearing or trial to give the accused a chance to defend himself. Notice and a hearing are part of "due process of law." The Fourteenth Amendment requires states to use due process of law before taking away a person's liberty or freedom.

When a defendant is found guilty after a criminal trial, the Eighth Amendment prevents the government from using cruel and unusual punishments—punishments that are barbaric in a civilized society. Under the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, states must obey the Eighth Amendment and avoid cruel and unusual punishments.

Public schools often punish students who misbehave in school. The punishment can be detention, suspension, expulsion, or corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is punishment inflicted on a student's body, such as spanking. In Ingraham v. Wright, the Supreme Court had to decide whether corporal punishment is cruel and unusual under the Eighth Amendment. The Court also had to decide whether schools must give students notice and a hearing before using corporal punishment.

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In the early 1970s, a Florida law allowed public schools to use corporal punishment to maintain discipline. In Dade County, Florida, a local law said teachers could punish...

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