There are countries around the world that still permit corporal punishment. In many countries though, it is forbidden. Worse still, hitting a student without cause is abominable.

55-year old Crystal Smith was caught on surveillance camera kicking a 5-year-old girl. This incident occurred at Bluejacket-Flint Elementary School in the Shawnee Mission school district in February 2019. There is no clear reason as to why she did that.

She was immediately fired by the school for such an inhumane act toward a kid. 3 weeks ago she pleaded guilty to battery. She was thus sentenced to 30 days in jail and one year of probation.

The video shows the young girl hiding in a library shelf after other students left. Smith finds her, pulls her out, and walks away. She then returns and kicks the little girl in the back.

How Smith Was Exposed

The girl's mother learns of the incident from her daughter after school and confronts Smith. Court documents show that Smith denied hurting the little girl. She went on to claim that the girl was lying and may have harmed herself.

The mother informed school officials and they took decisive steps. They watched the video and confirmed that Smith did hit the girl. Smith was placed on leave and eventually fired when the district completed its investigation.

The mother filed a federal lawsuit against the teacher and the school district. She believed that her daughter's civil rights were violated. She also believed that the school district was negligent in hiring, supervising, and training Smith.

In its defense, the school district said that 2019 was Smith's first year in the district. KCTV reports that in a quest to resolve the issue, Smith is expected to attend anger management classes.