Oh, I'm not so sure I've got a problem with this. Some punk smacks a woman in the head and then claims "It was a joke" when the cops pick him up? How many times have I heard "It was just a joke" when some kid in my Troop smacks someone or damages their property? I don't blame her for being scared. Let the kid suffer consequences for being stupid.
I think the main problem many see with this is not getting punished per se, but the form of the punishment.
Cheers.
You would be singing a different tune if your child was forced to undergo 40 hours of Muslim indoctrination about how decent and good Islam and Muslims are. You buy into a grand farce.