Court Upholds Damages In On-the-job Spanking

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) 04/18/2000 - A former computer analyst who said he was spanked by his boss in a workplace initiation is entitled to $143,000 in damages from the company, a state appeals court ruled Tuesday. Franklin Smith, 36, said he was whacked at least twice with a 4-foot carpenter's level by Kurt Getschow, president of Phillips Getschow Co., in 1995 as other workers watched. Getschow, laughing, then allegedly put his arm around Smith and said, "Now you're one of us." Getschow denied spanking Smith. A jury awarded Smith and his wife $1 million, but the judge found that amount excessive and reduced it. Wisconsin's 3rd District Court of Appeals upheld that decision.