"They cannot discipline the kids, for fear of being fired or sued."
When I was a kid, the teacher reasoned with me by pulling out the paddle and giving me a few whacks on the behind. It didn't take much time, had a positive effect on the rest of the kids in the class, and kept me in line for a while.
But even if I had wanted to misbehave, the thought of that wooden paddle with the holes in it, that hung on Mrs. McElroy's office wall, was enough to keep me in line.