These Dirty History Facts Definitely Got Overlooked in Class

History is full of wild happenings, but most of them aren’t going to make their way to a civics class anytime soon. Fortunately, this is the right place to showcase some naughty but passed over moments from history.

1. The Spanking Squad

Spanking children isn’t the disciplinary measure it used to be. One New Jersey mayor was such a fan that he organized a special spanking squad for young criminal offenders.

Arthur C. Whitaker was mayor of Bridgeton, New Jersey, during the 1910s. He had an automated spanking machine installed at City Hall and sentenced young offenders to it instead of sending them to reformatory schools. Once he passed down sentence, the squad would carry it out. They could regulate the duration and intensity of the spanking based on the harshness of the crime.

According to Whitaker, boy and girls faced the machine during his seven years in office. He labeled the experiment a success, with parents even voluntarily bringing children to him when they misbehaved. Despite this, Whitaker still saw it fit to keep the device a secret while it was in operation.