ALLEGED ASSAULT

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160811, 19 November 1920, Page 5

ALLEGED ASSAULT

EUPIL SUES A TEACHER,

(Per United Press Association.) DANNEVIRKE, Nov. 19,

A case in., which a pupil of the local High School proceeded against the jun ior master for alleged .assault was ventilated in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr S. L. P. Free, S.M. The plaintiff was David James Cullinane, and the defendant Donald Kennedy. Briefly the facts showed that the plaintiff and another scholar met the defendant in town, and neither lifted their caps to film'. Next day at school they were called out by him for punishment. Cullinane declined to bend into position to receive punishment, and alleged that when attempting to leave the room ho was seized by Kennedy and given ten strokes in all with a supplejack. A doctor, called for complainant, said that an examination showed several bruises, which were, he considered, unduly severs and on an improper, part of the body, though they were hot likely to prove of permanent injury.

The defendant stated that he had been invested by the. principal of the school with the powers of punishment to maintain discipline. The punishment administered was for insubordination, and the original offence had not yet been, punished. 4 Other evidence haying been heard, his Worship said that under the law a teacher had the right to punish a pupil for offences against the rules, sc long as punishment was reasonable. It might have, been better had Kennedy referred the matter to the principal. Under the circumstances, he did not consider the punishment excessive, and dismissed the case. .