Discipline versus abuse is a matter of degree. From the description of the continuous repetitions of intense, demeaning and publically shaming punishments which should, if properly used, be accompanied by contextual education and be rarely repeated (if ever), this looks instead like brutality of an intense degree, with a goal of a certain level of psychological destruction in mind. In a father-son relationship I’d call that criminal.
That’s true, but knowing nothing about the nature of his son’s refusal to do chores and do schoolwork, or any prior attempts at discipline, there’s nothing to work with in making a determination. If this was a reaction to not doing homework once the same day he refused to take out the garbage, and watched a video instead, harsh but not criminal. I’m assuming this was pattern behavior, and previous efforts controlling it failed. But that’s my assumption based on little more than implications in the articles.