May 10, 2021 Group Watch: K-12 “Due Process” Bill Fails to Advance
The House Education Policy Committee declined to advance a bill that would have established a statewide procedure for due process for K-12 students facing suspensions and expulsions. The bill would require school boards to hold hearings before making disciplinary decisions. The legislation would have also required systems to use impartial hearing officers. The bill would have prohibited suspending or expelling students pre-k through 5th grade unless their actions endangered the physical safety of other students or staff. The bill passed the Senate 22-4, and the bill’s sponsor Senator Rodger Smitherman of Birmingham says he plans to bring the bill back next year.
