State Eliminates All Day, Extended Suspensions Over Willful Defiance

The State Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom has decided to leave defiant students in school, changing teachers and administrators disciplinary rules that would have otherwise sent students home. 

On Oct. 8, Gov. Newsom signed SB 274 that bans schools from suspending for the entire day or for multiple days grades 6-12 students in public and charter schools who engage in acts of willful defiance against teachers, administrators and school officials. Teachers can still suspend a pupil in any grade from a single class if the student disrupts school activities or commits an act from an extensive list of prohibited behaviors – including willful defiance.

SB 274 also prohibits students from being suspended or expelled based solely on tardiness or truancy.

Senator Nancy Skinner, (D-Oakland), wrote the legislation. The bill builds upon prior laws that eliminated willful defiance as a reason to suspend or expel students.

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