This guy comes off as a control freak. It's hard enough for some parents who may have a child who is hard to control but it can be devastating to a child who has a parent that feels he has to maintain control regardless of the infliction of harm it may take to obtain his desired result. Under Minnesota's Malicious Punishment Of A Child Law 609.377 a child would have to suffer: Malicious Punishment of Child occurs when a parent, legal guardian, or caretaker performs intentional act(s) that evidence unreasonable force or cruel discipline that's excessive to have a child removed. The fact that every lawsuit he has entered against the state of Minnesota has been for everything except seeking damages for emotional harm and duress inflicted upon his family by child services would indicate there was found enough evidence that he used excessive force against this particular child. Just the mere fact that he got two of his children back is not indicative of innocence towards actions he took against the child he spanked. There is spanking a child and then there is abusive spanking of a child. In this particular instance concerning this child I think he carried the corporal punishment a bit to far and will stay convinced of that until he walks away with millions in settlement.