A Lincoln High School student was beaten so severely by a coach with a "canoe paddle" that the wood split - but it was taped up so the "licking" could continue.
The student suffered "severe bruising and welts to the lower back, buttocks and upper thighs" and was referred to a doctor for care, according to a Dallas ISD investigative report obtained by The Dallas Morning News.
Paddling is prohibited in Dallas public schools, but it is legal in Texas.
The report, dated Dec. 8, 2008, does not name the student who received up to 21 strikes in the spring 2007 incident, but it does list seven members of the football coaching staff who witnessed or participated in the beating.
Most of the employees are still with DISD and at Lincoln High School.
Lincoln principal Earl Jones, who was cited in the report for concealing the incident, was given a 20-day suspension last week after The News inquired about the paddling. He will also be reassigned to another campus after this school year.
Jones has not returned a call for comment.
DISD's Office of Professional Responsibility began investigating the incident shortly after a parent reported it to the district's child abuse office on Sept. 5, 2008.
"The report, unfortunately, speaks for itself and is, to say the least, disturbing," DISD spokesman Jon Dahlander said Wednesday. He added that a thorough investigation was conducted and the proper authorities were notified.
Dahlander said the district has taken action, but he cannot comment on disciplinary matters.
According to the investigative report, the student was removed from the football team for reasons that included a verbal altercation with a Lincoln security adviser who assisted the football team. The coaches apparently voted on whether the student should have the opportunity to return to the team.
Take licks, stay on team
According to their statements, some coaches voted against the idea, but the majority favored his return. Former head football coach Jerry Sands decided the student would have to take licks to be on the team, the report states. The student agreed.
Several of the coaches wrote that they were not aware of the district's no-paddling policy.
Lincoln coach Tyson Garner, who witnessed the paddling, stated in an affidavit that Sands gave the student about four licks before the board cracked at the base.
Garner said another coach mended the board with athletic tape and gave the student five quick licks that were milder than the first four, seemingly to try to conclude the punishment.
But Sands "proceeded to continue the licks," according to Garner.
After the paddling, some witnesses heard Sands say, "What happens in the room stays in this room," according to the report.
Sands, who had been Lincoln's head football coach for five years and has been on paid administrative leave since September, has refused to comment on the incident. But according to the investigative report, Sands doesn't believe he hit the student hard because the student showed up for practice the next day. He also believes he gave him about 10 licks.
Sands stated in an affidavit that other coaches also paddled the student, but he didn't name them because he couldn't be certain which ones participated.
Sands wrote that he wanted to help the student find "a way to get out of the inner city and make it in life." He said he thought there should be consequences for his actions.
"It was never my intent to hurt [the student]. If anything, I was trying to help him," Sands wrote.
At the end of the affidavit, Sands said, "I regret this incident and this will never occur again."
Garner sent the student to the nurse's office after the paddling. The student said he lied and told the nurse he had been injured playing football. The nurse was suspicious but did not file a "suspected child abuse report," the investigative report said.
The next morning, Garner noticed the student having trouble walking and again sent him to the nurse. The nurse gave him a referral slip to see a physician. The student said he left the school but did not see a doctor.
Garner reported the beating to a child abuse hotline and was told to inform the principal.
Word spreads
Jones was told of the incident by Garner and another coach in May 2007. Jones told investigators that he gave Sands a verbal reprimand. The report states there is no documentation of the counseling.
After an anonymous letter to Lincoln staff members made the paddling known in February 2008, Jones issued Sands a written reprimand, according to the report. The reprimand was backdated to April 2007, the report notes.
Jones wrote in his statement that when he first learned of the paddling in 2007, he was unaware of the severity. He told investigators he never considered notifying Child Protective Services since the student agreed to the punishment and didn't see it as child abuse.
No criminal charges have been brought against Sands or anyone else.
The Office of Professional Responsibility reported the incident to DISD's police department for possible criminal action, but "due to the staleness of the case and a lack of evidence" police suspended the case and turned it over to the OPR for an "administrative investigation," according to the report.
The student told a DISD officer in an interview that he'd been struck approximately 21 times, and knew so "because he was counting." The student also recalled having to sit on his knees to watch an NBA playoff game because of the pain.
TIMELINE
Spring 2007: A student is paddled 10 to 21 times by Lincoln High School head coach Jerry Sands and others. The student chose a "licking" to get back on the football team.
May 2007: Principal Earl Jones becomes aware of the paddling from a few of the coaches.
May 2007: Jones issues a verbal reprimand of Sands, saying he violated the district's no-paddling policy.
February 2008: An anonymous letter is circulated among much of the Lincoln High School staff, alleging several concerns about the athletic department. Among them is the paddling of a student "21 times."
February 2008: Jones issues a written reprimand of Sands, backdated to April 2007.
Sept. 2, 2008: The Dallas ISD Office of Professional Responsibility receives an anonymous tip about the paddling incident.
Sept. 5, 2008: A parent reports to the district's child abuse office that a student has been paddled more than 21 times.
Sept. 8, 2008: Dallas ISD Child Abuse office files a report of suspected child abuse.
Sept. 16, 2008: The Office of Professional Responsibility is notified by the Dallas ISD Police Department that because of the "staleness" of the complaint and lack of evidence, the matter is referred back to the OPR for an administrative investigation.
Sept. 11, 2008: Sands is placed on administrative leave, with pay. He is still an employee of DISD.
Dec. 8, 2008: The OPR report is completed.
March 25:The Dallas Morning News requests a copy of the report.
March 26: Jones is given a 20-day suspension and will be reassigned to another campus at the end of this school year, a DISD school board member said.
April 1:The Dallas Morning News receives the report.
