Overton principal arrested in connection with paddling of student

OVERTON, Texas (KLTV) - The Overton High School principal is accused of paddling a student hard enough to leave lasting bruises.

Jeffery Darryl Hogg, 59, of Whitehouse, was arrested on Wednesday on a charge of assault cause bodily injury. An arrest affidavit for Hogg said that the principal caused bodily injury to a female student by striking her three times with a wooden paddle on Aug. 14. According to the document, the paddling was forceful enough to cause bruising which was visible at least 48 hours after the incident.

The student and her mother filed a complaint with the Rusk County Sheriff’s office the day after the incident in Hogg’s office. The document said the student decided to receive corporal punishment after getting in trouble at the school, and her mother consented as well. The paddling occurred in Hogg’s office, and the affidavit said he paddled the student three times.

According to the affidavit, the student said in her report that the “second lick was harder than the first and she had never hurt like that before.” She did not want to continue with the paddling, the document said, but after Hogg told her “it would be a shame to have got to ISS when she only had one lick left,” and her mother encouraged her to finish, she agreed to the final strike.

The affidavit said the girl took pictures of the bruising as it developed throughout the day. She then had them examined by a nurse, who stated that the bruises were substantial and swollen. A Forensic Assessment Center Network doctor viewed the photos taken by the student and nurse up to 48 hours after the incident, and stated that the injuries were consistent with child abuse.

On Aug. 15, Overton ISD posted a comment on Facebook in response to “the number of comments and ongoing social media posts regarding student discipline.” This post corroborates the statements made in the affidavit, saying the student and parent both consented to the punishment, but that the student considered quitting the punishment midway through.

“There is never an intent to harm students; any administered consequence is in an effort to help students learn, grow and make positive choices. OISD is dedicated to serving and nurturing our students toward academic, social and emotional growth,” the district said in the post.

Overton ISD Superintendent Larry Calhoun said that he stood by this statement when contacted Thursday.

Hogg was booked into the the Rusk County Jail and released the same day.

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