School Safety Law Blog – Page 90 – News and Information for School Safety

Safety Law News for July 29, 2016

by Bernie James • July 29, 2016

In New York City, dozens of school resource officers were hospitalized after clashes with students in the first three months of the year, according to NYPD data. Sixty-nine suffered injuries; 40 were severe enough to require hospital visits. Out of a total of 1,208 incidents, 436 students were arrested during the first quarter of the year. There were five incidents of rape.

In Iowa, law enforcement officials are launching a pilot project with three school districts that would allow them to use the Iowa Communications Network to tap into security cameras and conduct secure radio communications to deal with emergency situations inside school buildings.

In California, the California Healthy Kids Survey reports that fewer students are using drugs and alcohol, but more feel harassed and bullied.

In Alabama, all of the school resource officers in Huntsville City Schools will have body cameras.

by Bernie James • July 26, 2016

In Indiana, a Decatur County Community Schools official praised the impact police officers working in schools have had on students and said the presence of officers has changed the environment in positive ways.

In Illinois, Kane County educators are demanding full-time SROs for two high schools. The sheriff’s office offered to provide part-time resource officers, but educators say that is not a satisfactory solution.

In New York City, public schools will no longer be allowed to suspend students in kindergarten through second grade under proposed updates to the Department of Education’s discipline code announced. Educators want resources to be in place before the changes to the code are made.

In Indiana, a new survey of Indianapolis Public Schools teachers has found that the majority of the district’s teachers do not feel properly trained on the district’s new behavior plan intended to reduce student suspensions.

by Bernie James • July 21, 2016

In Virginia, the legislature has refiled a previously vetoed proposal on school safety. House Bill 1392 seeks to allow school security officers to carry firearms. The Governor vetoed the bill in April 2016 because he believes only trained, active law enforcement officials should be authorized to carry firearms in schools.

In New York City, teachers and staff in Queens speak openly about the failures of restorative justice. An 18-year old student arrested on felony charges for assaulting a 14-year-old freshman wasn’t disciplined by school officials. A court order barred him from the school, but he was still allowed to attend by school officials.

In Pennsylvania, school officials in the Penn Hills School District have banned students from wearing hoodies in class. All students may wear them to school, but must put them in lockers or bags once school begins.

In Illinois, Senate Bill 100 takes effect on September 15. The new law prohibits zero-tolerance policies within schools and requires school officials to implement restorative justice disciplinary policies.

by Bernie James • July 12, 2016

In Pennsylvania, the federal district court has ruled that educators did not violate the rights of a ninth grade student by suspending him for posting on his website page about a bomb going off at the school the next day. The Tinker v. Des Moines case was applied to the student’s off-campus speech because educators could reasonably forecast substantial disruption at school where the speech was threatening student or school safety. [R.L. v. Central York School District].

In California, the state court of appeal refused to get involved in a dispute on restorative justice discipline policies by deferring to a decision by the Commission on Professional Competence to reinstate an administrator for failing to call the police or report to anyone an incident involving the sale of marijuana on campus. The reinstatement was based on the administrator’s promise that she would not repeat her mistake in the future. [Bellflower Unified School District v. Commission On Professional Competence].

In Texas, the Greenville Independent School District is proceeding with plans to form its own police department. The plan would involve the hiring of a GISD Chief of Police and additional school resource officers.

In Connecticut, the Bridgeport Board of Education voted to eliminate the five school resource officers who are funded by the board. The school board cut the resource officers not just because the move will save nearly $500,000 a year, but because many of the duties the resource officers were performing were police duties.

by Bernie James • July 7, 2016

In California, the state court of appeal has ruled that school administrators had authority to seize and searched a student cell phone based on the student’s suspected involvement in an incident in which a firearm was discovered on campus. The phone contained digital images of the student holding the firearm. [In re Rafael C.].

In Iowa, the state supreme Court ruled that the search of a high school student’s football equipment bag by a school official did not violate the constitutional limitations on searches and seizures under Federal and state law. The bag, left behind when the student-athlete was injured during a game, contained a long-barreled handgun along with a bag which appeared to contain marijuana, rolling papers, and other drug paraphernalia. [State v. Lindsey].

In Maryland, the court of appeals ruled against school officials who searched a student after he was found in possession of a validly prescribed medication. The court ruled that even though the student violated school rules by failing to give the medicine to the school nurse, such a violation did not support an inference or suspicion that the student possessed additional medication or contraband. [In re Kavon P.].

In California, the court of appeal upheld the practice of a local school to conduct a random search of classrooms from time-to-time. The school had a policy that school personnel would randomly select one classroom to search each day for weapons and drugs. A student was found with a knife in his folder. [In re R.H.].

by Bernie James • June 30, 2016

In Georgia, the state court of appeals has ruled that a school district’s “zero-tolerance” policy of expelling students for fighting regardless of whether the student was acting in self-defense was not permitted by the Georgia self-defense statute. [Henry County Board of Education v. S.G.]

In New Jersey, the state Senate has approved SB 2983 that would create a new category of police officer – the Class Three special law enforcement officer – to provide armed security in schools in the state. They would not replace school resource officers.

In Pennsylvania, the school board of the Gateway School District in Monroeville, has approved the policy to create a school police force. The police force will be made up of retired officers who will serve as armed guards at each school in the district.

In Nebraska, Omaha school resource officers are being training in a special class: “Policing the Teen Brain in Schools.” The three-day training session teaches officers how to improve their interactions with teens.

In Illinois, the teachers’ union at Fairmont School District 89 in Lockport, raised campus safety concerns with the school board after losing a school resource officer. The union president, urged the board to reinstate the school resource officer program.