Floyd Man Arrested, Charged with ‘Excessive Corporal Punishment’ of Teen

A Floyd man is facing several charges following a domestic incident.

According to the Oneida County Sheriff's Office 28-year-old Matthew A. Sypolt was arrested on Tuesday, January 11, 2022.

Authorities say that Sypolt was involved in a domestic incident at a home on Price Road in the Town of Floyd.  According to Sheriff Rob Maciol it is alleged that Sybolt "administered excessive corporal punishment to a juvenile in the home and the victim sustained multiple abrasions and bruises."

He is facing the following charges:

• Endangering the Welfare of a Child under the age of 17 (Class A misdemeanor)
• Attempted Assault in the 3rd Degree (Class B misdemeanor)
• Harassment in the 2nd Degree (violation)

Sypolt was booked and is currently being held pending arraignment.

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services defines child abuse as that which "encompasses the most serious harms committed against children. An abused child is a child whose parent or other person legally responsible for his/her care inflicts upon the child serious physical injury, creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury, or commits an act of sex abuse against the child."

In an article that addresses mostly corporal punishment in schools the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, a group which opposes corporal punishment, says, "Supervising adults who will-fully humiliate children and punish by force and pain are often causing more harm than they prevent."

In most states corporal punishment, that is considered beyond spanking, or "unreasonable physical discipline." is outlawed in alternative care settings and schools.  It is prohibited in 32 states, including New York.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:   This post is for informational purposes and is based largely on information received from the Oneida County Sheriff's Office.  All arrested persons are innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.]