Under Tennessee schools’ current zero-tolerance policies, any student involved in a fight at school faces disciplinary action, but those rules are changing. In fact, a bill that would allow for students to fight back in self defense is moving forward. There was no discussion on the student self defense bill when it went before the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday afternoon.
Adults on the street are allowed the right to self-defense if they are attacked, but newly proposed legislation would make that true for students on school campuses as well.
The student self-defense bill would eliminate the notion of zero-tolerance and allow students to fight back in defense of themselves or to step in and fight in defense of a fellow classmate without fear of punishment.
Lawmakers recommended the bill for passage on Wednesday (2/20/13) when it went before the Senate education committee. At this point, the bill will move to the calendar for further consideration (see what this means below).
Actual Bill Summary:
Present law enumerates various conduct violations for which a public school student may be suspended, one of which is two or more students initiating a physical attack on an individual student on school property or at a school activity, including travel to and from school. This bill changes the foregoing basis of student suspension by applying it to any situation where one or more students initiates a physical attack on an individual student on school property or at a school activity, including travel to and from school.
This bill also specifies that a student may be excused from disciplinary action if the student is determined, after an investigation, to have acted in self-defense under a reasonable belief that the student, or another to whom the student was coming to the defense of, may have been facing the threat of imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury, which the student honestly believed to be real at that time.
What does it mean when a bill is “Placed on Calendar”:
Written calendars (lists of bills to be considered for third reading) are required to be posted in the Senate Chamber at least 24 hours prior to consideration by the Senate or in the House Chamber at least 48 hours prior to consideration by the House. Senate rules limit the Senate calendar to 14 general bills, plus holdovers, while House rules place the maximum at 25, including any bills held over from previous calendars or any bills set by special order and excluding only those bills "bumped" or objected to on a Consent Calendar. Consent Calendars are made up of those bills and resolutions considered non-controversial in nature and are required to be posted in the House at least three days in advance of consideration and in the Senate, by 2 p.m. of the day prior to consideration.
Source:
Tennessee General Assembly
SB 0113 by *Tate (HB 0860 by *Weaver, Butt, Carr J, DeBerry J, Dunn)
Students - As introduced, modifies student discipline in case of physical attack. - Amends TCA Title 49.