§ 1161a. Discipline
(a) Each public and each approved independent school shall adopt and implement a comprehensive
plan for responding to student misbehavior. To the extent appropriate, the plan shall
promote the positive development of youths. The plan shall include:
(1) The school’s approach to classroom management and response to disruptive behavior,
including the use of alternative educational settings.
(2) The manner in which the school will provide information and training to students in
methods of conflict resolution, peer mediation, and anger management.
(3) Procedures for informing parents of the school’s discipline policies, for notifying
parents of student misconduct, and for working with parents to improve student behavior.
(4) The school’s response to significant disruptions, such as threats or use of bombs
or weapons.
(5) A description of how the school will ensure that all staff and contractors who routinely
have unsupervised contact with students periodically receive training on the maintenance
of a safe, orderly, civil, and positive learning environment. The training shall be
appropriate to the role of the staff member being trained and shall teach classroom
and behavior management, enforcement of the school’s discipline policies, and positive
youth development models.
(6) A description of behaviors on and off school grounds that constitute misconduct, including
harassment, bullying, and hazing, particularly those behaviors that may be grounds
for expulsion. The plan shall include a description of misconduct as listed in subdivisions
11(a)(26)(A)-(C) and (32) of this title that, although serious, does not rise to the
level of harassment or bullying as those terms are defined in these subdivisions.
(7) Standard due process procedures for suspension and expulsion of a student.
(b) For the purpose of this chapter, “corporal punishment” means the intentional infliction
of physical pain upon the body of a pupil as a disciplinary measure.
(c) No person employed by or agent of a public or approved independent school shall inflict
or cause to be inflicted corporal punishment upon a student attending the school or
the institution. However, this section does not prohibit a person from using reasonable
and necessary force:
(1) to quell a disturbance;
(2) to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous objects upon the person of or within
the control of a student;
(3) for the purpose of self defense; or
(4) for the protection of persons or property. (Added 1983, No. 145 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; amended 1995, No. 35, § 3; 1999, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 6; 2003, No. 91 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 2003, No. 117 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2013, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 123, eff. Feb. 14, 2014; 2019, No. 131 (Adj. Sess.), § 74.)