On rare occasions Mother Frances would paddle a student at an assembly, in front of the entire student body, but most of the punishments were administered in the classroom. And the paddlings were performed only by Mother Frances, never by the classroom teacher. Throughout the year, we second graders become aware of a pattern: only boys were being paddled. When Rick and Diane threw modeling clay at each other, Diane was made to stand in the corner while Rick was paddled by Mother Frances. Our teacher, Mother Mary Agnes, explained that Rick was paddled “because he started it,” but none of the girls really believed that. And, while Mother Frances continued to warn that we would be paddled “hot and heavy” if we couldn’t behave “like ladies and gentlemen,” we ladies didn’t worry too much about being punished.
Catholic School in New England6
