S 2524School Safety

Education - Health and Safety of Pupils - Student and Teacher Classroom Safety

Teachers can remove chronically disruptive or dangerous students from class, requiring a formal plan or committee review before they return.

Introduced32 Yea5 Nay1 Not voting

Population
Affected

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Introduced Feb 13, 2026Committee Senate Education

Plain-English Summary

This bill allows teachers to remove students from the classroom if they are chronically disruptive or pose an immediate threat to safety. It defines "chronically disruptive" as behavior occurring on three or more occasions that severely impairs learning. Upon removal, the school must notify parents and create a "return-to-classroom" plan. If a teacher objects to a student's return, a committee comprising an administrator, a teacher, and a counselor determines the placement. The bill requires school districts to adopt these policies by October 2026, report removal data annually, and ensures protections for students with disabilities and teachers acting in good faith.

For younger readers

This new rule helps keep classrooms safe and quiet so everyone can learn. If a student acts very badly three times or does something dangerous, the teacher can send them to the principal's office or another room. Before that student can come back to class, the principal and teacher must make a plan to help them behave better. If the teacher thinks the student isn't ready to come back yet, a group of adults will meet to decide what is best. This makes sure teachers can teach without being interrupted.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

TeachersK-12 StudentsParents and GuardiansSchool PrincipalsSchool Counselors

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Mandates the collection of data disaggregated by race, gender, and disability status, which helps identify and address systemic biases in disciplinary actions.
Protects the learning environment for the majority of students, ensuring that a single disruptive individual does not deprive the community of their right to a quality education.
Empowers teachers and support staff with clear rights and protections against retaliation, strengthening labor rights within the educational system.
Increases the risk of exclusionary discipline that disproportionately affects students of color and students with disabilities, potentially feeding the school-to-prison pipeline.
May stigmatize students labeled as "chronically disruptive," making it harder for them to reintegrate socially and academically.
Relies heavily on subjective interpretations of "disruptive behavior" by individual teachers, which could lead to inconsistent or biased enforcement.

For Conservatives

Restores authority to the classroom teacher, allowing them to maintain order and discipline without excessive administrative interference.
Prioritizes the physical safety and educational focus of compliant students by swiftly removing violent or unruly individuals.
Provides legal immunity for teachers acting in good faith, protecting them from frivolous lawsuits or administrative retaliation for enforcing standards.
Imposes state-level mandates on local school districts, reducing local control over disciplinary policies and procedures.
Creates new administrative bureaucracy by requiring the formation of review committees and the drafting of specific return-to-classroom plans.
Mandates the collection and reporting of demographic data (race, gender) to the state, which some may view as unnecessary identity politics metrics.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 60 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 16-21 of the General Laws entitled "Health and Safety of Pupils" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 16-21-44. Student and teacher classroom safety.

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this section:

(1) “Disruptive behavior” means behavior that materially and substantially interferes with a teacher’s ability to supervise, instruct, or maintain order in the classroom, or that impedes other students’ ability to engage in focused, rigorous classroom learning.

(2) “Chronically disruptive student” means a student who engages in conduct that is so unruly, abusive, or disruptive that it severely impairs the classroom learning environment or threatens the educational opportunity of other students, and who has engaged in such disruptive behavior on three (3) or more documented occasions during a school term.

(3) “Removal” means the transfer of a student from the classroom by a teacher or other instructional staff member, due to behavior that meets the criteria in subsection (b) of this section, to the principal’s office or an alternative instructional setting where the student continues to receive educational services and appropriate behavioral support, consistent with this section.

(4) “Return-to-classroom plan” means a written plan developed by the school principal or designee, with input from the relevant classroom teacher and other appropriate school personnel, to support the student’s safe and productive return to the classroom environment.

(5) “Immediate threat” means behavior that poses an imminent danger to the safety of students or staff within the classroom.

(b) Authority to remove a student from the classroom.

(1) A teacher may initiate the removal of a student from the classroom if the student:

(i) Is chronically disruptive despite documented interventions; or

(ii) Commits an act that poses an immediate threat to the physical safety of others in the classroom.

(2) Teachers shall not remove students for minor, non-disruptive behavior, such as tardiness or minor classroom rule violations. Student removals shall be consistent with the school district’s student disciple code, as required by § 16-21-21.

(3) The teacher shall document the removal using the school district’s existing procedures or reporting platform and shall notify the principal or designee by the end of the school day.

(1) The principal or designee shall review the incident within one school day and notify the student’s parent or guardian within twenty-four (24) hours.

(2) The student shall not return to the classroom from which the student was removed until:

(i) A return-to-classroom plan is developed by the principal or designee addressing behavior expectations and support strategies; and

(ii) The classroom teacher is consulted.

(3) If the teacher objects to the student’s return to classroom plan, the principal shall convene a review committee consisting of:

(i) One school administrator;

(ii) One certified teacher not involved in the incident; and

(iii) One counselor, behavior specialist, or school psychologist.

(4) The committee shall determine whether the student shall return to the classroom or be placed in an alternative instructional setting and shall document the committee's findings.

(d) Student protections.

(1) If the removal results in suspension from school, the provisions of § 16-2-17 shall apply.

(2) Students with disabilities shall be afforded all rights and protections required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq., and § 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 701 and all applicable state special education regulations.

(e) School district responsibilities.

(1) Each school district shall adopt policies consistent with this section no later than October 1, 2026.

(2) Each district shall report annually to the department of elementary and secondary education (RIDE):

(i) The number of classroom removals to the principal’s office, alternative instructional placements, return-to-classroom plans; and

(ii) Data disaggregated by race, gender, grade level, and disability status.

(f) Protections for educators and staff.

(1) A teacher or school employee acting in good faith and in accordance with this section shall not be subject to disciplinary action or retaliation.

(2) Nothing herein shall supersede any right conferred under an applicable collective bargaining agreement.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.