Pettigrew Introduces Bill To Limit The Use Of Force In Public Schools

Legislator proposes bill emphasizing accountability in district-security standards In response to the incidents brought forward by the Seattle/King County NAACP last year, State Representative Eric Pettrigrew (D-37) has introduced legislation that, if passed, will establish firm procedures for the use of force and physical restraints — including handcuffs — against students in Washington state public schools. Yes, schools have a responsibility to protect children – as well as teachers and other school staff – from young people who are being violent or threatening to be violent,” said Pettigrew. “What I’m saying with this measure is that I want – and everyone should want – the adults who deal with our children and our neighbor’s children to be held accountable for their actions.” The bill (HB 1892) encourages schools and districts to consider school discipline and security models in which counselors and prevention/intervention specialists, along with school building administrators and other school security personnel, if employed, and school resource officers, if present, are trained and work as teams of experts in diffusing anger, de-escalating conflict, and reducing violent behavior within their schools. The bill limits the use of physical restraint to what it termed as “reasonable force” only when: (1) the person’s behavior poses a threat of imminent, serious, physical harm to self or to others; and (2) school personnel must believe that non-physical intervention would not be effective in removing the imminent threat of harm. In addition, the bill prohibits the use of physical restraint as a means of punishment or As a disciplinary response to destruction of school property, disruption of school or classroom order, noncompliance with a school rule or staff directive, or communication of a verbal threat that does not constitute a threat of imminent, serious, physical harm. The legislation limits – with very few and very clearly defined exceptions – the use of physical restraint in our public schools,” he said. “One exception would be if the physical restraint is consistent with a student’s individual education plan. Also, the proposal does not prohibit commissioned law-enforcement officers – including school-resource officers and judicial authorities – from exercising their authority or executing their responsibilities, which might include the physical detainment of a student.” Pettigrew, D-Seattle, has worked on the legislation with parents and school officials. “The point of this legislation is to preserve a safe learning environment for all students – and for all teachers and other school staff,” he explained. “We know that a safe learning environment requires the establishment and enforcement of appropriate and accountable policies for student discipline. “A school’s culture and climate will determine the quality of interaction between students, school-staff, volunteers, and, of course, parents,” he added. “The school environment greatly affects the level of disciplinary activity that goes on inside a school. Sometimes, a district’s board of directors might determine that it’s appropriate to employ school-security personnel in order to preserve a safe learning environment.” Pettigrew’s legislation directs individual schools and school districts to consider models for school discipline and security. These models in turn would direct the work and training of school counselors and prevention or intervention specialists, school administrators, and other security personnel. “My proposal is aimed at building a framework for appropriate training of adults with whom we trust our children for hundreds of hours every year,” the Seattle lawmaker said. “Our goal is simple: School-staff should work as a team in diffusing anger, de-escalating conflict, and reducing violent behavior in our schools. In every school, according to terms of Pettigrew’s bill, the principal must meet at least once a year with school staff – including any school-security officers or school-resource officers who work there – to develop or review the building’s disciplinary standards and uniform enforcement of these standards. “My legislation simply calls on our schools to establish firm, accountable procedures for the use of force and physical restraints in dealing with unruly students.” Pettigrew’s bill is scheduled for a public hearing on Weds., Feb. 16, 2005 at 8 a.m. in Hearing Room B at the John L O’Brian Building n Olympia. The community is encouraged to call or write their legislators in support of this bill.