Administrative Regulation

AR 4258

Classified Personnel

Employee Security

An employee may use reasonable and necessary force when necessary for self-defense, to protect another person or property, to quell a disturbance threatening physical injury to others, or to obtain possession of weapons or other dangerous objects on or within the control of a student. (Education Code 44807, 49001)

(cf. 5131.7 - Weapons and Dangerous Instruments)

(cf. 5144 - Discipline)

Employees shall promptly report to their principal or other immediate supervisor any attack, assault or physical threat made against them by a student.

Both the employee and the principal or other immediate supervisor shall promptly report such instances to the appropriate local law enforcement agency. (Education Code 44014)

In addition, employees shall promptly report to their principal or supervisor, and may report to law enforcement, any attack, assault or threat made against them on school grounds by any other individual.

(cf. 3515.2 - Disruptions)

Reports of attack, assault or threat also shall be forwarded immediately to the Superintendent or designee.

An employee whose person or property is injured or damaged by willful misconduct of a student may ask the district to pursue legal action against the student or the student's parent/guardian. (Education Code 48905)

(cf. 3515.4 - Recovery for Property Loss or Damage)

Notice Regarding Student Offenses Committed While Under School

Jurisdiction

The Superintendent or designee shall inform the teacher of each student who has engaged in, or is reasonably suspected of, any act during the previous three school years which could constitute grounds for suspension or expulsion under Education Code 48900, with the exception of the possession or use of tobacco products, or Education Code 48900.2, 48900.3, 48900.4, or 48900.7. This information shall be based upon district records maintained in the ordinary course of business or records received from a law enforcement agency. (Education Code 49079)

(cf. 5125 - Student Records)

(cf. 5144.1 - Suspension and Expulsion/Due Process)

Upon receiving a transfer student's record regarding acts committed by the student that resulted in his/her suspension or expulsion, the Superintendent or designee shall inform any of the student's teacher(s) that the student was suspended from his/her former district and of the act that resulted in the suspension or expulsion. (Education Code 48201)

Information received by teacher(s) shall be received in confidence for the limited purpose for which it was provided and shall not be further disseminated by the teacher. (Education Code 49079)

Notice Regarding Student Offenses Committed While Outside School

Jurisdiction

When a minor student has been found by a court of competent jurisdiction to have illegally used, sold or possessed a controlled substance or committed specified crimes involving serious acts of violence, the district police or security department may provide written notification to the Superintendent. (Welfare and Institutions Code 828.1)

(cf. 3515.3 - District Police/Security Department)

When informed by the court that a minor student has been found by a court to have committed any felony or any misdemeanor involving curfew, gambling, alcohol, drugs, tobacco products, carrying of weapons, a sex offense listed in Penal Code 290, assault or battery, larceny, vandalism or graffiti, the Superintendent or designee shall so inform the school principal. (Welfare and Institution Code 827)

The principal shall disseminate this information to the counselor(s) who directly supervises or reports on the student's behavior or progress. The principal also may inform any teacher or administrator he/she thinks may need the information so as to work with the student appropriately, avoid being needlessly vulnerable, or protect others from vulnerability. (Welfare and Institutions Code 827)

Any court-initiated information that a teacher, counselor or administrator receives shall be kept confidential and used only to rehabilitate the student and protect other students and staff. The information shall be further disseminated only when communication with the student, parent/guardian, law enforcement staff and probation officer is necessary to rehabilitate the student or to protect students and staff. (Welfare and Institutions Code 827)

When a student is removed from school as a result of his/her offense, the Superintendent shall hold the court's information in a separate confidential file until the student is returned to public school. If the student is returned to a different district, the Superintendent shall transmit the information provided by the student's parole or probation officer to the Superintendent of the new district of attendance. (Welfare and Institutions Code 827)

Any confidential file of court-initiated information shall be kept until the student becomes 18, graduates from high school, or is released from juvenile court jurisdiction, whichever occurs first; it shall then be destroyed. (Welfare and Institutions Code 827)

Procedures to Maintain Confidentiality of Student Offenses

In order to maintain confidentiality when providing information about student offenses to counselors and teachers of classes/programs to which a student is assigned, the principal or designee shall send the staff member a written notification requesting him/her to review a student's file in the school office as soon as practicable. This notification shall not name or otherwise identify the student. The staff member shall be asked to initial the notification and return it to the principal or designee.

The staff member shall also initial the student's file when reviewing it in the school office. Once the district has made a good faith effort to comply with the notification requirement of Education Code 49079 and Welfare and Institutions Code 827, an employee's failure to review the file constitutes district compliance with the requirement to provide notice to the teacher.

Use of Pepper Spray

Employees who possess pepper spray on school property shall be notified of the following conditions:

1. The pepper spray shall be used only in self-defense.

2. An employee who uses pepper spray other than in self-defense shall be subject to disciplinary action by the district and, in accordance with law, a fine and/or imprisonment.

(cf. 4118 - Suspension/Disciplinary Action)

(cf. 4218 - Dismissal/Suspension/Disciplinary Action)

3. The employee shall ensure that the pepper spray is stored in a secure place and not accessible to students or other individuals. An employee who is negligent in the storage of pepper spray may be subject to disciplinary action.

Employees wishing to carry pepper spray on school property or to a school-related activity shall submit to the Superintendent or designee a written request setting forth the need for the pepper spray. Should the Superintendent or designee determine that the employee may not carry pepper spray, the employee shall receive a written statement of the reason for this determination.

Regulation PALOS VERDES PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

approved: May 24, 2001 Palos Verdes Estates, California