— In Louisiana, the United States Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling against a school resource officer who assisted school officials in “removing (a) mother from school office.” In a case involving suspected child endangerment, social workers “contacted the high school and ordered the school not to release the girl to the (parents’) custody. The school then began locking all exterior school doors to prevent the (parents) entry. The school also contacted (the school resource officer) and asked him to report to the school’s front office. The school informed (the SRO) that it had been instructed not to release the girl to the (parents), and that an agent of the Department was on his way to the school.” Once at the school the mother “became angry and used profanity. The school secretary warned (her) that she would have to leave the office if she continued to use profanity. Shortly afterward, (the mother) stepped partially outside the office to talk to her husband. She then re-entered the office. Following (her) exchange with her husband, (the SRO) asked (the mother) to step outside the office. But (she) refused to leave without her daughter. Surveillance footage depicts her gesturing angrily while speaking to (the SRO). (The SRO) grasped (her) arm and pulled her toward the door. When (she) refused to move, (the SRO) pushed her a few inches through the office doorway. The appellate court reversed because “a constitutional violation does not occur every time an officer touches someone… Under the circumstances, we cannot say that such de minimis force was “clearly” excessive and unreasonable. (The SRO) knew that the (social worker) was investigating potential child abuse and that it had instructed the school not to release the girl to the (parents’) custody. (The mother) was visibly upset, demanded custody of her child, and refused to comply with (the SRO’s) instructions. For the safety of everyone involved, (the SRO) removed (the mother) from the office. Once (she) was outside, (the SRO) ceased all force. We hold that the force used by (the SRO) was de minimis, and that (the mother) suffered no violation of the Fourth Amendment. The district court thus erred.” Carter v. Dupuy
— In Florida, the legislature enacted a law that expands the school guardian program to Florida colleges. Under the provisions of House Bill 757 “teachers and staff will be able to carry weapons after training with the sheriff’s office. The law also requires annual security risk assessments at every campus to find safety flaws and make improvements.”
— In Oklahoma, the legislature has enacted House Bill 2979. Called the “Talyn Bain Act,” the goal of the law is to improve safety for students “by establishing lower speed limits on certain highways near schools.” The provisions of the law direct “the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to create 45 mph school zones on portions of state highways upon request from a local jurisdiction, provided specific safety conditions are met. These include highways with speed limits of 65 mph or higher that run within 150 yards of a school and lack a direct exit ramp into the school zone.”
— In Texas, Senate Bill 546 has been enacted to improve school bus safety. It’s provisions require “all public school buses to have three-point seat belts by 2029. Three-point seat belts include a shoulder belt and a lap belt, as opposed to a two-point belt, which only goes across the lap.”