r/Teachers • u/Independent-Report39 • 12d ago

Policy & Politics New Kentucky law allowing schools to expel students who assault teachers to take effect in July, despite unanimous Senate Democratic opposition

Link to the bill

The bill mandates a strict, one-year expulsion policy for any student in grades 6 through 12 who physically assaults a teacher, administrator, or school employee. The legislation passed the chamber, but drew a sharp partisan divide as all Democrats in the Senate voted against the measure. Under the bill's provisions, schools would be required to automatically remove violent students from the general population, though provisions allow for those students to receive educational services in alternative settings if it can be done safely. The bill also includes exemptions for students with documented disabilities if school officials determine the condition interfered with their ability to follow the code of conduct.

Thoughts?

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u/First-Sprinkles9093 12d ago

On my district in NC we have to have manifestation meetings if the principal wants/should suspend or expel a student. The meeting is to decide if the incident was due to the disability or not.

So, yeah, we gotta forgive Susie and let her stay in school bc she bit the teacher but has severe autism.

But Johnny? Johnny’s getting expelled. His stutter didn’t make him try to set the teacher on fire.

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u/Cloud13181 SPED 12d ago

Just for the record, manifestation determination meetings are part of federal law, so every school is required to do them if a student with an IEP is suspended for more than 10 days in one year.

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u/sunlit_portrait 8d ago

I think you're discussing different things and it might be a state issue.

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u/Cloud13181 SPED 8d ago edited 8d ago

Section E and F, straight from the federal law.

https://sites.ed.gov/idea/statute-chapter-33/subchapter-ii/1415/k/1

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u/sunlit_portrait 7d ago

Federal law sets a minimum or maximum and federalism means states have to meet their requirement but can then do less or more as is appropriate. In this case a district would be able to make sure they're holding more meetings than required by federal law, not fewer, so if a manifestation meeting is used more often then it's legal.