The following is from the Mountain Park Parent Handbook page 23:

Corporal Discipline (swats)


Corporal discipline may be administered at MPBBA when the administration deems it necessary and after other measures are found to be ineffective. Lying, cheating, fighting, stealing, etc. (see other list in this section); may be deal with through corporal discipline.

If corporal discipline is deemed appropriate and necessary by the administration, parents will be notified by the phone and the matter will be discussed thoroughly.

A 3x5 card will be used to record corporal discipline. The student receiving corporal discipline will write the date, his/her name, and the number of swats received. The student will also indicate the conduct that warranted corporal discipline.

No more than five (5) swats will be administered to any student in one day. Young men will be paddled by a male staff member. Young women will be paddled by a female staff member. Swats will be upon the buttocks only.

A staff member of the same gender will act as a third party witness and will sign the 3x5 card as such. All corporal discipline will be done in private.

Corporal discipline is and should be handled in a matter-of fact manner, without anger or emotions. Thorough discussion of the incident and prayer should take place. It should be explained to the student that paddling is a result of choices made by him. Paddling is addressing the specific incident of the choices made, not the student personally.

Corporal discipline should be view as an opportunity to display God’s love and justice.


Before enrolling a student, parents are expected to sign a statement indicating that they have read, understand and agree to have their child governed by all policies, rules and regulation of the academy and to have corporal discipline administered to their child in accordance to those rules. The parents farther agree that in the event that corporal discipline is exercised against their child, they will not make demands, threaten to sue, make any kind of accusation or complaint, or actually litigate any matter relating to the use of corporal discipline, and agree to hold the academy harmless in the event any lawsuit is filed. To do otherwise would be a clear violation of Biblical teaching and practice.

According to the above agreement, the parent would agree not to sue for any severe injuries inflicted on the child due to a paddling from the MPBBA staff. I know as a student that the maximum number of swats was not five. There were plenty of students there who received severe bruising and other problems from spankings while at MPBBA.

The following was taken from the Mountain Park Parent Handbook, page 22:

The list of infractions that will require a disciplinary measure includes but is not limited to:


Not prepared for class/supplies;
Cheating (scoring, checkups, self -test, etc.);
Disobedience/failure to follow directions;
Lying;
Profanity, vulgarity;
Sowing disrespect or encouraging others to show disrespect for the school policies, learning center supervisor, or staff, whether verbally or through body language;
Arguing with Leaning Center Supervisors;
Showing disrespect for, abusing, defacing school property/facility;
Stealing;
Unnecessary physical contact, holding hands, embracing, etc.;
Belittling other students; name calling;
Fighting , unnecessary roughness;
Bringing unauthorized material to school;
Chewing gum;
Leaving desk without permission;
Talking without permission;
Throwing objects;
Violation of hair, dress, jewelry, or make-up code;
Writing or passing notes in class or chapel;
Homework assignments not completed;
Inattentiveness;
Inappropriate conversation, singing, gestures, etc.;
Any conduct considered by MPBBA staff as Unbiblical.

I would like to point out some key issues from this list of infractions.

  1. Arguing with or showing disrespect for school staff members- this, in Mountain Park’s terms, includes simply disagreeing with someone. NO arguments need to be brought, if you do not agree and simply look as though you don’t agree, you are considered “sullen” and are told you need to improve your “bad attitude”. The majority of verbal punishments given to students while at Mountain Park are for attitude issues.
  2. Unnecessary physical contact, holding hands, embracing, etc.- Even if a student has had a particularly bad letter from a parent or a depressing day, a fellow classmate is not allowed to show sympathy with a hug or a pat on the hand. Affection of any kind is discouraged. Students have been accused of homosexuality for less.
  3. Belittling other students, name calling- this is against the school rules unless the staff began the berating and name calling in a “pow wow”. These were frequent. During these episodes, if a staff member begins to berate a student, other students are then encouraged and expected to follow along as instructed and berate the other student in question at the time. From PERSONAL experience, I can tell you, this happened almost daily.
  4. Fighting, unnecessary roughness- again, this was listed as a rule, however, it was always subject to change when the staff deemed physical force or roughness necessary. Holding a new student under the freezing-cold water in the showers until her lips turned blue, for example, could be considered "necessary" by staff.
  5. Talking without permission- most of the students’ day is spent in a “no talking” zone. No talking is permitted during school hours, in line for meals, during cleaning time, before school in the dorms, in the evening when on your bunks in mandatory Bible reading time (usually about 2 hours on nights when no other activity was scheduled).
  6. Any conduct considered by MPBBA staff as un-Biblical- This is the main issue I believe most parents should find offensive. It basically says that MPBBA doesn't have to write down all of their rules, but if they see something that they do not like, they can punish your child at will.

I believe the main problem with the last issue is that Mountain Park has a Parent Handbook, but there has never been any written code for students. The rules are all unwritten, and change often. New articles of clothing are banned as the styles change and the owners see things they think are “tacky” or “ugly”. When I was a student, Birkenstock sandals became a big fashion statement, but Mrs. Wills simply didn’t like them. It was not a Biblical conviction it was a personal opinion. The sandals were banned. Black clothing is not allowed for the young women, other than skirts. Females are also prohibited from wearing denim or leather of any kind. Again, not a Biblical conviction, a personal opinion- as Mrs. Wills wears a sheep-skin lined denim jacket in the coldest parts of winter, and female staff members were allowed leather jackets.

Rules can be made up on the spot. If a staff member is having a bad day, they can take it out on the students and simply make up a reason for why they are in trouble. It’s all at the discretion of the Mountain Park staff.

You might think this is ludicrous. You might say, “What kind of people would do that to children they claim to have such a burden for?” Look closely at the students of Mountain Park, the unhappiness that is being repressed so far inside them is caused by this.