School Safety Law Blog – Page 104 – News and Information for School Safety

Safety Law News for April 28, 2015

by Bernie James • April 28, 2015

In Colorado, the legislature is pushing back at restorative justice policies by introducing legislation (Senate Bill 213) that imposes a duty of reasonable care on educators, eliminating governmental immunity from lawsuits. Victims of campus injuries can sue for negligence and claim damages up to $350,000 a person. The bill is named for Claire Davis, who was killed at Arapahoe High School in 2013. She was shot by a fellow student who then turned the gun on himself.

“After School App” is a messaging platform for students where they can post anything school or non-school related, within their high school’s closed network. The posts show up on the app anonymously. Every post is reviewed by a human before being seen by the community. If the post indicates concerning behavior, a message will be sent offering help to the student.

In Texas, legislators passed a law to help root out bullying and cyberbullying in schools. But educators and experts on the law say that social media is magnifying the problem.

In South Carolina, Chester County’s sheriff is concerned after a decision from the school superintendent to replace school resource officers with private security guards who are not active law enforcement officers.

by Bernie James • April 14, 2015

In Elmira, New York, parents are now pushing back after a rash of violence in Elmira’s secondary schools. The backlash is directed at restorative justice policies and dissatisfaction with school system response to an increase in violence.

In Illinois the East Aurora School Board unanimously approved hiring additional staff members for school safety. Teachers reported that they were feeling powerless when asking students to move along and get to class and they’re met with disrespect and vulgar obscenities.

In Alabama, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the county school district have teamed up to establish the ‘Safe 2 Tell’ tip line on which anyone can report incidents in the schools. The tip line will be monitored by sheriff’s deputies; they will forward information to the school resource officer at the school.

In South Carolina, school officials in Murrells Inlet are installing security booths at each of their four high schools. When completed, the SRO will be the first point of contact when a car approaches the campus.

by Bernie James • April 6, 2015

In Florida, Miami-Dade school officials hold a press conference to provide details on how campuses are kept safe. This comes after a 15-year-old student was stabbed at Miami Killian Senior High School by a 17-year-old student.

In Texas, the decision by Pearland ISD school officials to intervene in drug use on campus was to request an undercover police officer to enroll in school. The result was the seizure of cocaine, marijuana, Xanax, Tramadol, and the arrest of six students.

Educators and law enforcement officials around the country discuss how social media, apps for devices, and other electronic means of communication are making school threats easier to commit, harder to deter.

In California, the effectiveness of school resource officers is being praised by the Manteca Unified Superintendent. While the primary objective is to keep campuses and students safe, the SROs also assist with truancy concerns, make home visits, and mentor students at school.

by Bernie James • March 31, 2015

In Michigan, Detroit cannot keep its schoolchildren: Each day an estimated 25,000 school-age children go to school outside the city. Safety is one of the reasons parents are pulling their children from Detroit schools.

In Amherst, New York, school officials have installed an upgrade to the district video system. Now local police have access to school video surveillance.

In Florida, the House of Representatives wants to require students to wear uniforms—a move they say could help improve school safety. Legislation was passed by a 102-8 vote to pay school districts that implement the uniform policy.

The Connecticut legislature is considering SB 1108, the “Zero-Tolerance Safe School Environment Act.” Under the proposed law existing penalties for threats made against schools would be increased from misdemeanor to felony in all cases.

by Bernie James • March 19, 2015

A new software program, called Digital Fly, allows educators and SROs to track social media posts around their school. Within a 10-mile radius school officials can track and filter social media. The program automatically sends an email or text to administrators if there is a potential threat to campus safety.

In Plumsted, New Jersey, school officials are implementing The Junior Officers Program to promote respectful living and safe choices by elementary students. The program is a collaborative effort between the Plumsted Township School District and the Plumsted Township Police Department.

In Clay County, Missouri, the Liberty Public School District has installed a unitary school safety system that links the district IT data with the security management software. The new system manages both building access and video surveillance from any location and keeps the district’s employee database current.

In Michigan, Ann Arbor Public Schools officials say they will not allow guns on school property. This is direct conflict with a state law that permits citizens with gun permits to openly carry weapons onto state school campuses.

by Bernie James • March 16, 2015

The Utah Legislature has passed two bills to improve school safety. HB345 would permanently restrict convicted felony sex offenders from obtaining or renewing a teaching license. HB213 requires schools to have Internet filtering on school campuses.

In Georgia, the Richmond County School System has seen 73 weapons cases so far this year. The breakdown: 21 cases from high school, 23 cases from middle school, and 29 cases from elementary students.

In Illinois, the Lake Forest School Board unanimously approved a cellphone app that operates like a panic button, letting them alert police and administrators and track students in case of emergency. The app will also let administrators know which students are in what classrooms and who stayed home sick.

New York City officials have revised school policy on suspensions. The new policy includes adding oversight of principals’ decision to suspend students. However, the city kept its longstanding policy to suspend students for one to five days for “defying or disobeying the lawful authority or directive of school personnel or school safety agents.”