— In Maryland, the United States District Court, refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by parents of a student who was killed by a fellow student on campus. The shooting followed a series of incidents of harassment to which the school had notice. The court ruled that federal law, e.g. Title IX is a proper basis for liability when a school fails to follow its own policies and procedures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of its students. The court also ruled that under Maryland law, a school is under a special duty to exercise reasonable care to protect a pupil from harm.” Willey v. Board of Education of St. Mary’s County
— In Maryland, police officers will no longer be deployed to the campuses of the Montgomery County Schools. Specialized officers, e.g., “community engagement officers,” will respond to schools on an as-needed basis or calls for services.
— In California, officials in the Central Unified School District want to reverse a decision by local elected officials to end the school resource officer program. The educators recently cancelled football games and dismissed students from its high school after campus violence and a tip on social media of further incidents. The local police had already made adjustments by reducing their pool of available officers, such that, “the earliest prospects of SRO services on its three middle school campuses wouldn’t arrive until 2022, following recruitment and training.”
— In North Carolina, officials in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have notified students and parents of the resumption of daily, mass, suspicionless searches after a spat incidents involving a and firearms on its campuses. Schools, buildings, and classrooms will be randomly selected for the screenings using “no-touch metal detectors.”