Sunset Elementary School, 263 Church Hill Street, Sunset, Louisiana caters for boys and girls from Kindergarten to 8th grade. Three 8th grade girls, Emily Eadie, Madeline Odom and Taylor Castille, all thirteen years old, were all paddled by school principal Marquet Rideau at the end of October 2011.
It all started when Taylor Castille excused herself in class to use the rest room before the bell rang. She found the closest rest room closed so walked across school to use the fifth grade rest room and met with her friends, Emily Eadie and Madeline Odom.
They admit they were walking back to class after the tardy bell had sounded and knew they were in trouble when the principal, Ms Marquet Rideau caught them crossing the quad. The girls thought they would get a tardy mark on their school ID cards or morning detention.