I got my butt beat about every 15 minutes coming up, he said.
Gainer was raised in Jackson County, one of 19 primarily North Florida counties whose school systems continue to condone the use of corporal punishment as a means of discipline.
And though controversy is again swirling around the practice in Florida following a Hendry County principal being caught on video aggressively paddling a first-grader, Gainer, now a Florida senator, remains in favor of the use of physical discipline. It s all right to spank them, but don t beat them. It s OK if the intention is to teach them a lesson, but don t leave no marks, he said. There s definitely a place for corporal punishment in the school system, but not beating. You have to know when to hit them and how hard to hit them. Once a child figures out you won t spank them, you ve lost all control.