— In Missouri, the United States Court of Appeals held that a school resource officer did not violate the Fourth Amendment when the officer summoned a student to the office to be interrogated by outside police about a non-school incident. Reversing the trial court ruling that the school resource officer was not entitled to qualified immunity, the appellate court ruled that the nominal role of the SRO in the incident did not satisfy the elements of an illegal seizure. The SRO did not question the student, but merely escorted the student to a room and closed a door. Therefore, qualified immunity was appropriate. L.G. through M.G. v. Columbia Public Schools.
— In Ohio, the Kirtland Schools Superintendent is sharing with the community the details of the revised school safety policy. It focuses on personalized learning for students, a safe environment, well-managed finances and community engagement. The successful implementation confirms that teaching soft skills and critical thinking from a young age is of great importance.
— In California, a student at Valley Christian High School in San Jose has created a safety app that speeds up the reporting of sexual assaults. The 16 year old developed “Keep Me Safe,” an app that utilizing voice recognition to trigger an loud alarm to scare off the assailant while sending details to 911. It also creates a text alert for police with the user’s location.
— In Florida, educators at Neil Armstrong Elementary School in Charlotte County continue to experience success using student safety patrols through the AAA School Safety Patrol Program. Educators believe the student patrollers protect other students while teaching lifelong leadership skills. The AAA Safety Patrol Student Program is celebrating its 100-year anniversary.