PUPIL AND MASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17633, 20 November 1920, Page 6

PUPIL AND MASTER.

A CHARGE OF ASSAULT. COMMENTS ,BY MAGISTRATE. [BY TELEGB FBESS ASSOCIATION.] DANJIEVIHKB. Friday. A case in which a pupil of the local High School proceeded against a junior master for alleged assault - was hoard ; n the Magistrate's Court; before Sir. Free. S.M. . Plaintiff wan David James Cullinane, and defendant Donald Kennedy. Briefly the facts showed that plaintiff and another scholar met defendant in town, and neither lifted his cap to him. Next day at school they were called out by the master for punishment. Cullinane declined to/bend into a position to receive punishment,* and it was alleged that, when he was attempting to leave the room, he was seized by Kennedy and given 10 strokes in all with & supplejack. A doctor called in for the complainant said examination showed several bruises, which were, he considered, unduly severe, and on an improper part of the body, though they were unlikely to cause permanent injury. Defendant etated_ that he had been invested by the principal of the school with powers of punishment to maintain discipline. The punishment administered was for insubordination, and the original offence Was not yet punished. Other evidence having been heard, His Worship said that, under the law. a .teacher had the right to punish a pupil for offences against the rules, so long as the punishment was reasonable. It might have been better had Kennedy referred the matter to the principal, but under the circumstances he did not consider the punishment excessive, and dismissed the case.