Oklahoma allows corporal punishment on disabled children.

Oklahoma state Rep. John Talley's bill to bar schools from spanking children with disabilities was opposed by Republican lawmakers who invoked the Bible to argue against it. The bill would specifically prohibit schools from using corporal punishment on "any student identified with a disability in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act." Corporal punishment remains in use in American schools, with nearly 4,000 students in Oklahoma being spanked or paddled during the 2017-2018 school year, including 853 students with disabilities. The United Nations considers corporal punishment to be a human rights violation, and groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Psychological Association have warned that it can cause academic, emotional, and behavioral problems.