SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WGEM) – Illinois lawmakers are one step closer to banning corporal punishment in private schools and home-school settings.

The state Senate Education Committee passed a bill Tuesday with bipartisan support banning the practice in non-public schools. The bill would ban school employees and volunteers from deliberately inflicting pain on a student in response to their behavior. It’s already illegal in public schools.

“Corporal punishment is an outdated practice and Illinois students deserve equal protection under the law no matter where they attend school,” said state Sen. Adriane Johnson, D-Buffalo Grove.

The bill would not ban the use of physical restraints to prevent a student from harming themselves or someone else or causing damage to physical property.

State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, and state Sen. Tom Bennett, R-Gibson City, voted against the bill. They cited concerns about the legislation potentially infringing on parental rights as it does not exempt home school settings.

The bill passed out of the Illinois House of Representatives on April 15.

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