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Sharon School Committee delays vote on revised student questioning and search policy
Summary
The committee reviewed a rewritten Policy JIH that would require a parent or guardian be present when law enforcement questions students unless exigent circumstances exist; members and public speakers asked for more time and legal clarification, and the full committee postponed a vote to the April meeting.
The Sharon School Committee on March 19 reviewed a revised version of Policy JIH, the district’s policy on searches and questioning, and agreed to postpone a final vote so members and the public can review wording and receive additional legal clarification.
The committee heard from Dan, a policy subcommittee member, who summarized the revision and said the new draft “reads, when law enforcement officials find it necessary to question students during the school day or extracurricular activities, no questioning shall occur in the absence of a parent guardian present unless exigent circumstances exist.” Dan said the change responds to two concerns counsel raised earlier: that the district’s old policy did not address Miranda rights or the district’s memorandum of understanding with the Sharon Police Department, and that the prior policy was overbroad in a way that could interfere with lawful, emergency law‑enforcement action.
The revision explicitly requires parent…
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