A school district in North Carolina may begin handing out long-term suspensions and billing its students for the cost of school evacuations following false threats.
The Wake County Public School System announced its proposed new policy Jan. 5 after an increase in the number of false threats the district received in recent months, according to the newsobserver.com.
The proposal, which will undergo a school board vote for final approval Jan. 19, would require students found responsible for false threats to reimburse the school for the subsequent evacuation and response procedures. Students could also receive suspensions of more than ten days for the threats.
Although emergency response agencies have yet to charge the school district for their services, the new policy would require the district superintendent to determine a charge that would “reasonably compensate for the cost and disruption a campus evacuation.” Students that can’t afford the charge would be required to perform an alternative service.
RELATED: Similar Terror Threats Lead to Different Responses in LA, NY
A number of people have spoken out in opposition of the new policy. One legal expert said the policy is an attempt to add on to existing punishments handed down by the criminal justice system. The expert also questioned the vagueness of the rule, wondering how the superintendent would decide on a fine amount and how the school would determine if a student could pay. Others also doubted the rule would have a deterrent effect on students.
Wake County experienced 22 false threats on their high school and middle schools in October and November. The threats resulted in four evacuations.
District Chief of Staff and Strategic Planning Dr. Marvin Connelly discusses the policy in the video below.
