(3) Corporal punishment. (i) The term corporal punishment, as used in this section, shall mean any act of physical force upon a pupil for the purpose of punishing that pupil. Such term, as used in this section, shall not mean the use of reasonable physical force for any of the following purposes: (a) to protect oneself from physical injury; (b) to protect another pupil or teacher or any other person from physical injury; (c) to protect the property of the school or of others; or (d) to restrain or remove a pupil whose behavior is interfering with the orderly exercise and performance of school district functions, powers or duties, if that pupil has refused to comply with a request to refrain from further disruptive acts; provided that alternative procedures and methods not involving the use of physical force cannot reasonably be employed to achieve the purposes set forth in clauses (a) through (d) of this subparagraph. (ii) In every school district and supervisory district, the trustee, trustees, board of education or board of cooperative educational services, shall submit a written semiannual report to the Commissioner of Education by January 15th and July 15th of each year, commencing July 1, 1985, setting forth the substance of each complaint about the use of corporal punishment received by the local school authorities during the reporting period, the results of each investigation, and the action, if any, taken by the school authorities in each case.

(a) Prohibition of corporal punishment. (1) No teacher, administrator, officer, employee or agent of a school district in this State, a board of cooperative educational services (BOCES), a charter school, State-operated or State-supported school, an approved preschool program, an approved private school, an approved out-of-State day or residential school, or a registered nonpublic nursery, kindergarten, elementary or secondary school in this State, shall use corporal punishment against a pupil. (2) As used in this section, corporal punishment means any act of physical force upon a pupil for the purpose of punishing that pupil, except as otherwise provided in paragraph 3 of this subdivision. (3) In situations in which alternative procedures and methods not involving the use of physical force cannot reasonably be employed, nothing contained in this section shall be construed to prohibit the use of reasonable physical force for the following purposes:

• (i) to protect oneself from physical injury;
• (ii) to protect another pupil or teacher or any person from physical injury;
• (iii) to protect the property of the school, school district or others; or
• (iv) to restrain or remove a pupil whose behavior is interfering with the orderly exercise and performance of school or school district functions, powers and duties, if that pupil has refused to comply with a request to refrain from further disruptive acts.

(b) Prohibition of the use of aversive interventions. (1) No public school, BOCES, charter school, approved preschool program, approved private school, State-operated or State-supported school in this State, approved out-of-state day or residential school, or registered nonpublic nursery, kindergarten, elementary or secondary school in this State shall employ the use of aversive behavioral interventions to reduce or eliminate maladaptive behaviors, except as provided pursuant to section 200.22(e) and (f) of this Title. (2) As used in this section, aversive intervention means an intervention that is intended to induce pain or discomfort to a student for the purpose of eliminating or reducing maladaptive behaviors, including such interventions as:

• (i) contingent application of noxious, painful, intrusive stimuli or activities; strangling, shoving, deep muscle squeezes or other similar stimuli;
• (ii) any form of noxious, painful or intrusive spray, inhalant or tastes;
• (iii) contingent food programs that include the denial or delay of the provision of meals or intentionally altering staple food or drink in order to make it distasteful;
• (iv) movement limitation used as a punishment, including but not limited to helmets and mechanical restraint devices; or
• (v) other stimuli or actions similar to the interventions described in subparagraphs (i) through (iv) of this paragraph.

The term does not include such interventions as voice control, limited to loud, firm commands; time-limited ignoring of a specific behavior; token fines as part of a token economy system; brief physical prompts to interrupt or prevent a specific behavior; interventions medically necessary for the treatment or protection of the student; or other similar interventions.

Site addresses requirement to submit a semiannual report on each complaint about the use of corporal punishment received by the local school authorities during the reporting period, the results of each investigation, and the action, if any, taken by the school authorities in each case.