Superintendent: Officers Should Not Handle Minor Discipline

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina’s education superintendent says educators should ask officers to intervene only when students are being violent, not for minor classroom misconduct.

Superintendent Molly Spearman said Tuesday her task force tried to take a commonsense approach to student discipline.

She created the task force after a Richland County deputy yanked an 18-year-old student from her desk and threw her to the floor. Video of last fall’s incident spread quickly nationwide, prompting questions about officers’ roles in schools.

The fired deputy was called to the classroom after the student refused to stop using her cellphone and would not leave the classroom.

Spearman says educators need training on how to de-escalate situations.

Under the recommendations, using a cellphone in class would be among the lowest-level offenses, with possible punishments including after-school detention.