Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
On Tuesday, the House passed a bill requiring school principals to notify parents of children who are evacuated from a classroom due to violent or other substantially disruptive conduct by another student.
HB1895 by Rep. Aron Maberry defines a “classroom evacuation” as “the removal of some or all students from a classroom or instructional area due to the violent, aggressive, or severely disruptive behavior of another student that creates a safety concern or substantially interrupts classroom instruction.”
Should students be removed under circumstances meeting this definition, the bill then requires the school principal or principal’s designee to provide notification by the end of the day to the parents or legal guardian of each student who was in the classroom or instructional area at the time the evacuation occurred unless the event that prompted the evacuation is an “ongoing emergency” or is otherwise under investigation by law enforcement.
The notification to parents must include a “brief description of the general nature of the incident sufficient to explain why the classroom evacuation occurred” and “any steps taken by the school to ensure the continued safety and supervision of students.” But it must not disclose information about the student whose conduct caused the evacuation, or any other student, if the disclosure would violate FERPA or any other relevant privacy law.
Additionally, schools would be required to maintain written or electronic records of each classroom evacuation containing the date and time of the evacuation, the number of students evacuated, the time and manner of the parental notifications, and the staff member responsible for issuing the notifications.
On the House floor, Democrats brought concerns about the potentially broad definition of “severely disruptive behavior” and the impact the legislation could have on special needs students who may have outbursts or reactions which could fall under the bill’s definition.
Rep. Maberry clarified that the intent of the legislation is not to report if one child is removed from the classroom, like for disciplinary measures or under special needs accommodations, but if the majority or entire population of students must be evacuated from the classroom due to violence or other extraordinary behaviors by another student.
Though the bill ultimately obtained the 50 plus votes required for passage, the 57-32 vote was not strictly partisan, with members from both sides of the aisle taking various positions, and several more marking themselves “Present Not Voting”.
It was not very clear why so many members, including several conservatives, abstained or voted against the bill as the question was called by Rep. Pat Marsh, ending debate before any other Republicans spoke on the issue.
The Senate was much less divided, unanimously passing the bill 32-0 on March 30.
With the House’s passage, the legislation will now head to Gov. Lee’s desk for signature into law.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
