October 09, 2024 09:58 AM UTC

Gabe Evans Can't Answer Question on "When is it Okay to Hit Children"?

• 4 Comments
• by: Colorado Pols

Republican Gabe Evans has been trying hard to present himself as a normal person throughout his campaign for Congress in CO-08. On Tuesday evening, the real Gabe Evans finally slipped out.

During a live debate on 9News, Evans was asked THREE TIMES by co-moderator Kyle Clark to state his belief on when it might be appropriate for teachers or administrators to physically strike or hit a child in a public school.

Evans failed to answer that very, very simple question all three times.

You can watch the entire exchange below or read our transcription that follows:

CLARK: You’re a vocal supporter of the Christian homeschooling movement and you’re a member of a Christian group called “Heritage Defense,” which defends parents accused of beating their children. Or, as the group describes corporal punishment, quote, “Following the Biblical protocol in the training and discipline of their children.” As a state legislator, last year you voted against a ban on corporal punishment in Colorado’s public schools. A brief answer, please: When do you believe that it is acceptable to hit a child at home and at school?

EVANS: That answer is already in the law right now. It’s in title 18-1-703, so you can go refer to the law where it talks about the special exception that parents and guardians have when they are tasked with the upbringing for a minor. But I want to address something you mentioned…

CLARK: How about public schools? When is it appropriate for a child to be hit in public school?

EVANS: We…we need to ensure that we are providing a safe place for our kids to be able to learn in our public schools. I was a part-time school resource…

CLARK: There was a security exception. This went beyond the security exception when people needed to be able to control children for safety reasons. When should children be hit in school?

EVANS: I was a part-time school resource officer, for about two years, at my, uh, law enforcement agency. And so one of the biggest things that I hear from teachers is…

CLARK: I apologize, sir. If you’re not going to answer the question, we’re going to use the time [for something else].

This is not a difficult question. The answer, obviously, is “Never.” It is NEVER appropriate to hit a child, particularly in a public school setting.

If you can’t answer that question with one word — instead of the 111 words that Evans stammered out — then you shouldn’t be a candidate for elected office. If you can’t answer that question, you probably shouldn’t be spending time around children.

The inability of Evans to answer this question with a simple, “Never” is even weirder when you consider his initial response. Evans immediately rattled off the number of the state statute (18-1-703) that provides a special exception for the use of corporal punishment.

Gabe Evans can recite the number of that statute in the criminal code off the top of his head. That’s incredibly creepy.

That brief exchange in Tuesday’s debate might not have been the worst performance we have seen in a political debate in Colorado…but we’re having a hard time thinking of another contender.

This is the real Gabe Evans. Voters in the eighth congressional district should take note.