Senator Johnson urges strict removal for violent or disruptive students, introduces classroom authority bill

Senator Johnson (York) delivered emotional introductory remarks on a bill to amend education code to expand authority for referral, removal and administrative follow-up and to provide protections for educators and staff.

"I was spit on. I was stabbed in the neck. I was hit so hard I have permanent vision loss in 1 eye," Johnson said, recounting violent incidents he attributed to in-school behavior and using the examples to argue the bill's urgency. The senator said the legislation would require removal of a student who is disruptive to the learning environment rather than leave discretion to administrators: "This bill says quite simply, we shall remove these children. If you are disruptive to the learning environment, you shall be removed. There's no may. There's no we're gonna think about it. We shall."

Senator Johnson asked other members to stand for teachers and students and urged passage; several senators sought to be added as cosponsors on the floor. The reading clerk recorded the bill's introduction and the presiding officer referred the measure to the Senate Education Committee for consideration.

What happens next: The bill was introduced and referred to the Education Committee; no committee action or floor vote occurred during the session. Further hearings and testimony will determine whether the proposal moves forward or is amended.