Some call it a sign of the times. The parents of the girl who had to deal with a bruised backside say it's the right thing to do. Either way, it may be the end of a punishment era for the district.

"I try to be the best student, but everyone messes up once in a while,” said Marisa Fletcher.

What 15-year-old Marisa did was have a cellular telephone out in class. Her mother approved her punishment -- swats from the high school principal. Laura Fletcher changed her mind after she witnessed it.

"He took both hands and raised them up and, like a full golf swing, came down, forcing her forward and, before I could say 'Jesus', he hit her again,” said Fletcher.

The Fletchers filed a complaint and a made a call to the state child abuse hotline. Washburn Superintendent Doug Lawyer suspended swatting privileges for the principal, and called in the state Children’s Division to help investigate.

"They were surprised; said most school districts just handle this. I said we've got nothing to hide,” said Lawyer.

It took less than a week until the principal wasn't the only one not swatting.

“We have suspended it district wide -- corporal punishment. No swats are being given and we want to see what effect that has on the school community,” said Lawyer.

Some people would rather their child be in pain for a little bit than be out of class or staying late for detention. But, since they've stopped the swats, there haven't been any complaints to bring swats back.

"We seem to be operating as smooth as when we were instituting corporal punishment,” the superintendent said.

The district will use parent feedback on in-school, out- of-school and after-school detentions to make the decision whether to keep corporal punishment.

"It may be something that may be left as a school board policy but not implemented,” said Lawyer.

But it's certainly evidence of a different world.

"Times have changed,” said Lawyer. "We're concerned for the safety of the student, obviously, but it's so easy to ruin the career of someone who's following board policy, and that's not something that you want to see."

The superintendent believes a decision will not be made until at least next school year. So, while the ability to swat is still a school board policy, it has been taken out of the middle and high school handbooks for next year.