— In Pennsylvania, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, affirmed the adjudicated delinquency of a student for aggravated assault of a teaching staff member. 18 Pa.C.S. § 2705(a)(5). The law protects teachers from students who, “attempt to cause or intentionally or knowingly causes bodily injury to a teaching staff member … acting in the scope of his or her employment or because of his or her employment relationship to the school.” “Bodily injury” is defined as impairment of physical condition or substantial pain. On this basis, the court ruled that “[s]ubstantial pain may be inferred from the facts” of the student twice hitting with closed fist the head of the teacher. Interest of A.B.
— In Illinois, a state representative introduced legislation that would eliminate school resource officers in schools. The provisions of House Bill 0029, would not allow law enforcement officers on a schools property unless urgent and immediate action was necessary. However, the next day, the state representative decided she was no longer moving forward with the bill.
— In Florida, the Seminole County Public School District is testing gun detection technology for use on its 52-acre campus at Oviedo High School. The new technology, known as ZeroEyes, uses the school’s existing surveillance cameras to spot guns and alert school resource officers and teachers within seconds.
— In North Dakota, child care agencies, schools, and law enforcement in Stark County are assessing their efforts to protect children from sexual abuse. The Stark County Sheriff’s Office credits school resource officers who “interacting with youth [are] helping us in detecting this type of behavior….The relationships SRO’s are able to develop with young folks and their parents creates an atmosphere of trust which facilitates an ability for these crimes to be reported.”