— In Connecticut, the Superior Court of Connecticut, rejected qualified immunity for a school district in a lawsuit brought by a student who was assaulted by a fellow student and seriously injured. The court ruled that immunity did not apply to failures to act that subject students to imminent harm. The immunity analysis has three elements: 1) an imminent harm; (2) an identifiable victim; and (3) a public official to whom it is apparent that his or her conduct is likely to subject that victim to that harm. Connecticut General Statutes § 52–557n. The court found that the known violent history of the student “could lead a jury to conclude that the assailant was an “imminent risk” to the students in his classroom,” which eliminates immunity for the school. Keegan Allister v. Michael Labombard No. CV196053097, 2021 WL 2300489 (Conn. Super. Ct. May 6, 2021)
— In Texas, Senate Bill 168 was signed into law to change the manner in which schools conduct active shooter drills. Its provisions require schools to customize the drills in collaboration with education, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. Schools must make allowance for the age of the student body and provide advance notice of active shooter drills.
— In Illinois, school officials in Norwood Park are implementing their Whole School Safety Plan. The policy retains the school resource officer program while hiring additional social workers. The Board believes that the officers and social workers will make the school community feel safe and welcomed.
— In California, the Fresno County Schools has selected “Everbridge School Safety Software” to coordinate emergency management efforts on K-12 campuses. The software enables school administrators to orchestrate a collaborative approach for crisis incidents including campus violence such as active shooters and bomb threats, as well as lockdowns and medical emergencies.