Band Director's Assault Questioned

A local school band director is in trouble after an alleged incident on campus, where a Carroll student received corporal punishment for performing poorly during rehearsal and was disciplined. Band Director Desiree Player, who is a well-known and respected educator, uses the same form of punishment on other band students. Monroe City Schools Board (MCSB) officials took action against Player after Carroll's Principal Eric Davis informed her that a parent had filed a formal complaint. According to reports, Player is alleged to have used a paddle on numerous students, including her own two children, who are band members. According to MCSB policies, educators can use corporal punishment if consenting parents sign off. As of press time, it is believed to be the only complaint that has been filed on Player. The alleged paddling incident happened back in October. Still, Player has only recently been relieved of her duties, as she has been suspended and allegedly has been charged with simple assault against a student, according to sources. As of press time, there have not been reports either from MPD or Monroe City Schools that the student in question received any injuries as a result of the alleged paddling. A disciplinary write-up was done by Player after the student left without permission, and did not go into a permanent discipline file, which could have had a negative impact on the student moving forward after school years. There are those who disagree with what happened to Player. Those who disagreed argued that the outcome would not have been the same if it had been a male director. They point to a lack of discipline in schools, as some students do not respect authority. One individual said that discipline is a prerequisite of participating in school activities such as the band or football.