School Safety Law Blog – Page 100 – News and Information for School Safety

Safety Law News for August 10, 2015

by Bernie James • August 10, 2015

In Michigan, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health reports that two issues have quickly climbed higher on the list of major health concerns for children: sexting and internet safety.

In Maryland, officials from the State Board of Education and Washington County continue to debate the new state policy on out-of-school-suspensions. After making some changes, school administrators now have more discretion to suspend students for distributing drugs, physical assaults, and sexual harassment.

In Georgia, Richmond County school buses will carry a patrol officer in an attempt to crack down on motorists who fail to yield for stoplights. Patrol cars will follow behind the bus to react when someone fails to yield during one of its assigned stops.

In Tennessee, the Court of Criminal Appeals has reversed the conviction of a parent who told school officials, “I’m going to come back in here with an AK–47 … I’m going to kill everybody in here and then kill myself.” The court ruled that under the circumstances no rational trier of fact could conclude that the parent made his statements knowing that they would cause school personnel to fear imminent serious bodily injury. [State v. Watts]

by Bernie James • August 4, 2015

In North Carolina, a new state law requires every school district to submit digital blueprints to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety. The North Carolina Center for Safer Schools says that a third of the public school districts have yet to comply with the requirement.

In New Jersey, a judge ruled that school districts do not have to release the information pertaining to school security drills. Educators have a “security” exemption to the requirements of the New Jersey Open Public Records Act.

In Minnesota, the Court of Appeals has reversed the expulsion of a student disciplined after a knife was found in her purse during a search of her locker. The court ruled that the expulsion violated the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act. [In re A.D.]

In Iowa, the Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of a student for possession of a firearm and carrying weapons on school grounds. The court ruled that the administrator’s search of the school-issued athletic equipment bag was reasonable and did not violate the Fourth Amendment. [State v. Lindsey].

by Bernie James • July 28, 2015

In Alabama, Decatur County school resource officers will soon be equipped with tasers, in addition to their firearms. The school board voted 4 to 2 in favor of the new equipment.

The Superior Court of the Virgin Islands has applied the U.S. rule of law to a student search case. The court ruled that a school official’s search of student backpacks for weapons was valid on mere reasonable suspicion. The assistance of two school resource officers did not compromise the authority of the educator. [People v. T.S.]

In North Carolina, the state court of appeals has ruled that Miranda warnings were not required in the questioning of a 15 year-old student by educators. The court ruled that the presence of a school resource officer at the request of administrators does not automatically convert the questioning of a juvenile into a custodial interrogation. The court ignored the fact that the SRO did ask a few questions. [In re R.B.L.]

In Georgia, the court of appeals has ruled that a teacher is immune from liability for holding a student in a headlock for a period of time in front of other students in a seventh-grade language arts class. The court found that although the incident might demonstrate the teacher’s “frustration, irritation, and possibly even anger,” evidence of malice or intent to deliberately hurt is required to overcome the presumption of immunity in Georgia. [Tuggle v. Rose]

by Bernie James • July 23, 2015

In North Carolina, the Wake County school board gave final approval Tuesday to a new “technology responsible use” policy that will require parental consent before students can use technology in school. The policy covers use of social media accounts, including Facebook and Twitter.

In Georgia, the Coweta County Board of Education approved a cyberbullying policy. The policy reaches all electronic communication – whether or not it originates on school property or with school equipment – if the act is directed at students or school personnel, is malicious and intended to harm their safety or substantially disrupt the orderly operation of school, and creates a reasonable fear of harm to the students’ or school personnel’s person or property.

In California, the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District is installing cameras and tracking devices to its buses. The monitoring system, called “vMax Trac,” will allow the school district to know the location of its buses, see what’s happening on the buses, and know the names of all the students on board.

In Wisconsin, the Madison School District is struggling with its new restorative justice discipline policy. Since its Behavior Education Plan went into effect for the 2014-2015 school year, out-of-school suspensions across the school district dropped 32 percent, but the racial disproportionality of suspensions actually increased. And students, teachers, and parents continue to criticize the climate on campus brought by the new policy.

by Bernie James • July 17, 2015

In New York, the NYPD is eliminating its school unit patrol – a specific unit trained to deal with school emergencies and other issues that arise – and will instead rely on the officers assigned to respective neighborhood beats to respond to the schools.

In New Jersey, a legislative task force charged with improving safety in the state’s public schools has issued a long list of recommendations that includes increasing police presence on school grounds and the creation of a New Jersey School Safety Specialist Academy.

In North Carolina, the State Board of Education has approved a new school bus safety policy after five North Carolina students were hurt by motorists passing stopped buses this school year.

In Wisconsin, the governor signed 2015 Senate Bill 35 and 2015 Senate Bill 70 into law, significantly changing the laws surrounding firearms. The laws amend the Wisconsin Gun Free School Zone Act, allowing off-duty, retired and “qualified” out-of-state law enforcement officers to possess a firearm in school zones.

by Bernie James • July 13, 2015

A report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that while “70 percent” of all public schools put kids through school shooting scenarios/drills, only “43 percent” have armed security.

In Idaho, the Garden Valley School District is at least 45 minutes away from its police department. Officials have purchased firearms and trained six employees to use them in an emergency.

In Alabama, the number of Birmingham high school students arrested on campus has dropped dramatically over the past year – a 63 percent decline. SROs have shifted their focus from being reactive by making arrests to being proactive by mentoring and recommending resources.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released the results and statistics of a three year study on school crime over the past three years. And studies show, the numbers are down – 14 percent in the past three years. Effective use of the SRO is receiving the credit for the downward trend.