— In Illinois, a survey from the community of parents, students, and school staff at the Waukegan Community Unit School District notes that a majority of students, parents, and staff prefer to keep the school resource officer program. Among students, 50.8 percent want the officers to remain, 17.5 percent want them removed, and 31.7 percent were undecided. 72.5 percent of the parents and 67.5 percent of the staff want the officers to remain on campus.
— In Virginia, the United States District Court held that parents successfully pled a
Due Process “danger creation” claim against school officials whose inaction led to the assault of their child. The injuries were inflicted by student athletes who were unsupervised in the football team locker room. The court held that educators violated the student’s Substantive Due Process right to bodily integrity and “increased the risk of private danger” by failing to have supervision in the locker room after assuring parents that supervision would occur following a similar incident. DJ v. School Board of Henrico County
— In Nebraska, the City of Lincoln and the Lincoln Public Schools have renewed their school resource officer program. The program provides for 12 school resource officers and a threat assessment officer as part of a “Safe and Successful Kids” interlocal agreement. The provisions of the agreement include revisions and constraints on the role of the officers in response to parental concerns.
— In North Carolina, the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education approved the continuation of the school resource officers program for its middle and high schools. The program employs 26 officers. The school board intends to revise the role of the officers from one of policing students to providing safe and secure campuses.