Principal Blakeburn headed back to his office after supervising the end of the day dismissal. He was not in a hurry for he had been forewarned about the most notorious pair of trouble makers in Southside JHS having been caught in the act of a particularly heinous prank.© Y Lee Coyote
As he got to his office he was greeted by the sight of a half dozen unhappy students waiting for his unwanted attention. He took the paperwork from his secretary and went into his private office. He quickly determined that the additional four miscreants could easily be dealt with for repeated ‘forgetting’ of homework, running in the hall and a bit of rude backtalk. He summoned each, confirmed their misdeeds and administered two to four pops on the underwear covered behinds of the three boys and one girl after they dropped their jeans.
Then he thought about what to do with his two biggest problems – Smith and Jones. The report, from two teacher witnesses, was exceedingly precise.
At 12:15 we observed Smith and Jones push Olson and Pesnell into the hall from the Boys’ Room by Room 315. The two victims were nude and the bullies were lashing their buttocks with their belts and ordering them to kiss.
Olson and Pesnell stated that they were forced to strip in the Boys’ Room and kiss as they were beaten. Their clothes some with rips and missing buttons were on the floor inside. Their buttocks were red and had strap marks.
Principal Blakeburn confirmed that the bullies were almost sixteen and the biggest boys in the school while their victims were barely twelve as they were academically advanced. Decades earlier he would not have had any question what to do. Just send the trouble makers to Borstal or more precisely the American equivalent – reform school.
It would be difficult to devise an appropriate punishment. Expelling them would cost the City a lot as they probably would lose a year and then being older and bigger and more threatening to the other students. They each had many pops which had not seem to deter them.
Then the Principal had the EUREKA moment thanks to the Mikado. He called them into his office. They were far from contrite and remorseful. Perhaps their attitudes would be better if he could hang them by their thumbs for a few hours from the yardarm of the school flagpole like in the old naval tales he had read.
Being asked what might be appropriate punishment they cockily suggested their age in pops for which they would bend over immediately without complaint and then reluctantly agreed to drop their jeans.
“You want it easy after your heinous offence and attacking smaller and younger boys. NO! It is not that easy. I’ve had it up too here with you two. Two days in-school suspension and you better be on your best behavior. Then the next day you will be nude all day in school including assembly where you each will receive fifteen hard pops.
“If you fail to show up, then that means you are withdrawing from this school. If you just miss a day then you shall be nude every day until you get paddled in front of the school in the next assembly.
“Understand?”
They understood and left quite unhappy, confused and shocked.
* * * * * * * * * *
During the two days of suspension, rumors starting circulating about the upcoming assembly day. Their fathers spoke with the Principal and were not happy with the situation but, reluctantly, agreed that it would be effective and better than expulsion and changing schools.
On assembly day they were stopped at the entrance and taken to the locker room to strip. The Principal addressed the school through the PA system and briefly explained that Smith and Jones were being appropriately punished for bullying two younger and smaller students. You will hear more details in assembly.
As the miscreants made their way to their first class they caused quite a stir. They had lost their swaggers as they were jeered and laughed at. Everyone could see that they were not jocks with great bodies nor super studs with impressive endowments. They were subpar physically as well as academically. Their status quickly plummeted. Everyone was anxious for the assembly.
Principal Blakeburn explained everything right after the standard routine start. Smith and Jones were caught bullying – explicitly stripping and strapping two other boys. Their appropriate punishment is losing their own clothes and getting their age from the paddle here in front of you all.
The custodian had found an old punishment block that had languished in the store room for years and had place it center stage. Smith was directed to kneel on it such that his rear faced the assembled student body. This was one mooning that he did not enjoy. Principal Blakeburn picked up his paddle and began. WHACK! went the paddle and Smith gave a howl. Someone yelled “ONE”.
The paddle was raised again for another pop and Smith repeated his howl as his butt turned red. Many yelled “TWO.”
This continued without change other than Smith sobbing by five pops and his tail glowing brighter.
After the fifteen, he was sent to face the wall with his butt on display. Jones received the identical treatment. He was sobbing by four pops. Obviously their past boasting of taking pops stoically was false.
“Smith and Jones front and center. Just so we know that there aren’t any hard feelings between you two, hug and kiss to make up. We know that you know exactly what to do because you were giving instructions to the two boys you were bullying to do that. Make it a really good kiss like you hope for on a date.”
When they finished there was a round of applause for the two with four red cheeks each.
No one could remember the rest of the assembly.
Everywhere they went they were stared at accompanied by jeers and laughs. A social critic pasted labels on their lockers.
Too dumb to be a nerd
Too weak to be a jock
Too teeny to be a stud
Just right to be a LOSER
Apparently it was an excellent punishment because after that Smith and Jones completely stopped bullying and pranking and were almost respectful of the teachers.