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Safety Law News for April 14, 2020

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In Kentucky, the United States District Court held that the rights of a parent were not violated when educators reported their safety concerns to law enforcement after the parent made threatening statements in frustration at bullying his son was experiencing.  After his arrest, trial and acquittal for terroristic threatening in the second degree, the parent filed suit claiming unlawful detention and malicious prosecution.  The court ruled that he did not have a right “to enter a public school, express his displeasure… use emotionally charged words associated with known school tragedies…suggest he would use stealth and self-help to protect his son…yet not have this situation reported to a law enforcement officer assigned to the school.” (Adams v. Osborne)

• In Nevada, the Carson City School District approved an agreement between the school district and the Carson City Sheriff’s Office to continue its School Resource Officers program.  The agencies will split the cost of the officers.

• In Illinois, the school board for Oak Park and River Forest schools unanimously approved changes to the student interview policy.  The new policy requires police officers to make reasonable efforts to ensure the student’s parent is present during questioning or ensure that a school employee is present.

• In New Mexico, Rio Arriba County and the Española Public Schools have agreed to pay $1.3 million to a special-education student who was tased multiple times by a sheriff’s deputy.  In the wake of the incident, Española Public Schools now require school resource officers to complete training specific to disabilities and adolescent psychology within their first semester on the job.

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Safety Law News for April 9, 2020

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• In Kentucky, the General Assembly passed the 2020-2021 budget that includes a $40 million earmark to implement the recently enacted school safety laws.  The laws require specific security measures at school buildings, mandate more mental health and counseling services, and provide funding for hiring more school resource officers.

• In Maine, a revised agreement between Portland schools and the police department focuses on the rules for the use of body cameras worn by the officers who are deployed on campus.  The agreement includes provisions that body cameras not operate in covert mode and that the videos be downloaded daily to a secure server at the Portland Police Department.

• In Massachusetts, Monomoy Regional High School is deploying a canine as part of its program to fight vaping, known as “Project Connect.”  The program will use the dog to increase supervision by detecting marijuana and its active ingredient, THC, as well as nicotine, both of which are used in e-cigarettes and other vaping devices.  The dog will also be used for drug awareness classes and school safety presentations at the other schools.  This element combines with enhanced health education to discourage student vaping.

• In New Mexico, the governor signed Senate Bill 111, which will provide an incentive for public service retirees to return to work.  The law will allow retired teachers, bus drivers, secretaries, professors, and school resource officers to return to work in schools without paying non-refundable contributions into the State Educational Retirement

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Safety Law News for April 3, 2020

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• In Ohio, the Court of Appeals of Ohio held that school officials in the Madison Local School District did not have the authority to arm employees with firearms based on a policy that requires only “24 hours of active shooter/killer training, completed and passed a criminal background check, a drug screen, and a mental health evaluation.”  Ohio law requires that, “[n]o public or private educational institution…shall employ a person as a special police officer, security guard, or other position in which such person goes armed while on duty, who has not received a certificate of having satisfactorily completed an approved basic peace officer training program, unless the person has completed twenty years of active duty as a peace officer.”  (Gabbard v. Madison Local School District)

• The New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, held that school officials and chaperones of a school-sponsored trip during which student contracted fatal illness were not entitled to summary judgment in a lawsuit brought by the parents.  The court ruled that, “[a]lthough during school hours the standard is that of the reasonably prudent parent, a lesser standard, that of the reasonable and prudent person, is applicable in the context of a student’s voluntary participation in an intramural or extracurricular school sport.” (Tutaj v. Seaford Union Free School District)

• In Nevada, the Carson City Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to form a partnership with the Carson City School District to fund the School Resource Officer (SRO) program.  Under the agreement, the city and school district will split the cost of the officers.

• In West Virginia,  the Tyler County Sheriff is partnering with school officials to deploy a therapy dog on campuses as a means of creating relationships with children. 

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Safety Law News for March 30, 2020

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• In Texas, the Huffman ISD Board of Trustees approved the creation of the Huffman ISD Police Department, starting in the 2020-2021 school year.   The Superintendent and the Board believe that creating a police department “will give us the opportunity to take our security measures to the next level.”

• In New Mexico, House Bill 184 has been signed into law.  The provisions of the law create funding for resources to and training of school resource officers.  It requires law enforcement officers who work as school resource officers be specifically trained for the position, including receiving training in de-escalation techniques and adolescent-specific issues.

• In Maryland, the University of Baltimore Law Review has issued a Report on the current state of school safety law in Maryland.  The Report highlights the Maryland Safe to Learn Act and the policy objectives of the pending legislation on Guidelines on Trauma-Informed Approach Bill (H.B. 256).

• In South Carolina, the Beaufort County School Board is considering a plan that would put armed security personnel in every public school, including elementary schools.  At least 15 schools, all elementary schools, do not have SROs.  Efforts to fill the positions are limited by a short supply of eligible officers, who must go through specific training.

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Safety Law News for March 27, 2020

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• In Florida, officials from the Clay County School District have issued a report on its three-year experiment with a school district police force.  The details include an improvement in the school climate and a 79% decrease in school arrests.  School officials state that, “it’s just amazing how quickly the SROs bond with these students.”

• In Maryland, the Montgomery County Council has enacted a bill intended to improve law enforcement transparency and accountability through community policing.  Under the provisions of Bill 33-19, law enforcement must document use of force statistics, officer suspension information, the number of youths referred to intervention programs, and include mental health and positive youth development science into community policing training programs.

• In Massachusetts, the Gloucester Public Schools and Police Department are implementing the “Handle with Care” initiative to provide services to children who experience trauma.  Under the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding, when a child is identified at a traumatic scene, an officer transmits a message to “Handle with Care” to the school.  The school gives that child a safe person and space where they can receive support and counseling or other mental health services.

• In Idaho, legislators are debating Senate Bill 1384.  The provisions of the legislation allow school district employees to carry a concealed weapon on school property, provided the school district employee maintains the weapon concealed and within their immediate control and provides a copy of their license to school officials who can also share the information with law enforcement.

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Safety Law News March 23, 2020

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• In Kentucky, the Governor signed into law Senate Bill 8, requiring all Kentucky school districts to arm their school resource officers.

• In Georgia, United States Court of Appeals ruled that a school resource officer’s conduct, including placing a student in a choke hold and carrying her away by the neck, was not so grossly disproportionate to the situation as to constitute excessive force.  The student had been fighting with another student whom she had punched in the face, and was combative toward the officer who was trying to deescalate the situation.  (Hines v. Jefferson)

• In Florida, school resource officers in Polk County are continuing to mentor students despite the closing of schools because of the coronavirus outbreak.  While the officers are completing annual training and staffing campus “school-meal” sites, they are also visiting students considered to be “at risk” and their families.

• In California, San Rafael City Schools will receive almost $1.12 million in state vaping prevention grants — the latest step in ongoing efforts to curb vaping among Marin youths.  School officials plan to use the funds to expand collaboration with law enforcement and public health in programs on education, prevention and cessation of vaping.