School Safety Law Blog – Page 97 – News and Information for School Safety

Safety Law News for March 23, 2016

by Bernie James • March 23, 2016

In Utah, police in Salt Lake City settle a lawsuit over “gang-profiling” on public school campuses.

In Tennessee, the House of Representatives approved and moved along legislation allowing teachers and staff to carry guns at school for self-defense.

In North Carolina, the Governor’s Task Force on Safer Schools and the Center for Safer Schools is providing guidance to schools and local police to take action against gangs.

In Missouri, the Columbia Police Department has implemented “soft uniforms” for school resource officers in response to the complaint that traditional officers’ uniforms were too intimidating.

by Bernie James • March 8, 2016

In New York, the number of violent incidents on school campuses increased by nearly 23 percent last year — reaching the highest level in at least a decade. That includes a 40.4 percent increase in the number of assaults with injury and a 48.4 percent jump in assaults with “serious” injury.

In Illinois, the legislature has introduced amendments to the Safe Routes to School program. The proposed policy [HB 2623] would increase funding to improve street safety for students walking to school.

In Colorado, the legislature has introduced a school safety policy that would allow licensed mental health professionals to disclose “articulable and significant” threats against schools to administrators and police. The proposal, [16-1063] would not require therapists and counselors to disclose such threats, but those who do would be protected from lawsuits. Current state law requires mental health professionals to report “imminent” school threats.

In Maryland, Baltimore schools CEO Gregory Thornton said he will review the training and selection of school police after an officer was filmed slapping a teenager on campus.

by Bernie James • March 4, 2016

In Alabama, the Huntsville City School District is implementing a district-wide social media monitoring program. School officials will monitor students’ social media posts and, if necessary, discipline students for the content of the posts.

In Pennsylvania, the Hazleton Area School District has cut its use of metal detectors to moderate the time-consuming policy of scanning every person who entered a district school. The detectors will now be used randomly.

In Idaho, the House of Representatives passed HB 514 and sent the legislation to the Senate. The proposal would establish an Office of School Safety and Security that would administer security assessments, training, and technical assistance for schools to improve their safety and security.

In Pennsylvania, a new law [Act 15 of 2015] requires that school volunteers who have “direct volunteer contact” with children at a school must have background checks.

by Bernie James • March 1, 2016

In Virginia, the legislature is considering HB 487 that if enacted would relieve school resource officers of the duty to enforce school board rules and codes of student conduct. The House easily passed a bill 95-2. It now awaits consideration by the Senate.

In Texas, the Hutto Independent School District has created a police department to match the district’s recent growth. The department is requiring each officer have at least three years experience, and the new sergeant will have at least five years experience.

In Ohio, state law requires all schools to submit emergency safety plans, but the Ohio Department of Education has announced that it will no longer identify schools that fail to submit a safety plan, or that submit a plan that does not meet required standards.

In Georgia, the Atlanta Public Schools is forming it own police force. Officials announced that it is seeking sworn police officers and other personnel for its new in-house safety and security department.

by Bernie James • February 24, 2016

In Washington State, the schools in the Tri-Cities area of Pasco, Richland and Kennewick, report significantly fewer weapons on campus. The good news is attributed to two things: the good presence of community oriented policing and utilizing a good security team within the building.

In Virginia, House Bill 1234 has been introduced. If passed, it would allow school security officers, who are not active duty police, to carry firearms if they are retired law-enforcement officers serving with the local school board’s approval.

In Tennessee, the Hamilton County sheriff has launched a new program designed to build a better relationship between students and the school resource officer program run by the Sheriff’s office.

In Indiana, where more than 7,000 cases of bullying in public schools were reported last year, a teenager’s experience with verbal assaults highlights the difficulties of dealing with bullying on campus.

by Bernie James • February 19, 2016

In Wyoming, legislation has been introduced that would restrict school districts’ access to student data, particularly online social media accounts or emails. If enacted, the law would prohibit school or district employees from compelling a student to provide their username and password for various digital media accounts, such as a Facebook page or an email account. Administrators also could not require a student to log into such an account so that the contents could be read over the student’s shoulder. [Senate File 14]

In Oklahoma, the rural school district in the city of Okay is arming teachers and staff members to protect its students. The policy is authorized by the passage of HB 2014 that was signed into law last year.

In North Carolina, the Pitt County Schools have approved funding to increase bus safety by adding cameras to each school bus. Each bus will have 3 cameras: one facing the front, one in the middle on the inside of the bus, and one pointing at the entrance by the driver.

In New Jersey, the Governor has signed into law A-1455/S-2011 – called “Abigail’s Law.” The law requires that newly-manufactured school buses be equipped with sensors. The legislation is named for the 2-year-old daughter of parents killed when she stood in front of a school bus unseen by the driver.