Blasdel's Bill to Establish School Expulsion Policy Passes House

COLUMBUS – The Ohio House of Representatives passed House Bill 206, legislation designed to promote the safety and protection of all students and staff, Wednesday, announced State Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana). 

The legislation will authorize school boards to establish a policy that allows a superintendent to expel a student from school for no longer than 180 days for posing an imminent and sever danger to the health and safety of other students and school employees. 

“After joining the General Assembly almost two years ago, I had a conversation with the parent of a student at one of the schools in my district; she expressed her concerns about a student who had been expelled from school, but was set to be readmitted back into the district without any type of assessment,” said Blasdel. “This bill will combat that, providing greater flexibility and more control to school administrators when dealing with the most difficult and stressful cases they encounter.”

The bill defines “imminent and severe endangerment” as one of the following four threats:

• Bringing a firearm or a knife capable of causing serious bodily injury to school, a property owned or controlled by the school board, or to an interscholastic competition, extracurricular event, or other program or activity sponsored by the school district or in which the district is a participant;
• Committing an act that is a criminal offense when committed by an adult and that results in serious physical harm to persons or property while at any of the above locations;
• Making a bomb threat to a school building or to any premises at which a school activity is occurring at the time of the threat; or
• Making an articulated or verbalized threat, including a hit list, threatening manifesto, or social media post, that would lead a reasonable person to conclude that the student poses a serious Threat.

Superintendents will be required to develop conditions for the student’s reinstatement, which must include an assessment performed by psychiatrist or licensed psychologist who is agreed upon by both the district superintendent and the student’s parent.

At the end of the expulsion period, students must be assessed by a superintendent and meet all of the conditions for reinstatement. If a student fails to meet the conditions, then a superintendent may extend a student’s expulsion by no more than 90 days prior to another reassessment. There is no limit on the number of times a superintendent may extend an expulsion.

The legislation will now head to the Senate for further consideration.