Fairfax County governance committee votes to retire Policy 2620 on physically aggressive student behavior

The Fairfax County School Board governance committee voted unanimously June 16 to retire Policy 2620, which addressed students with physically aggressive or violent behaviors, and to direct staff to ensure any necessary language is incorporated into other district policies before the matter goes to the full board for action.

The move came after committee members sought confirmation that elements of 2620 were already covered by other policies and regulations and that legal and equity reviews had been completed. "I would make a recommendation for this to be retired because I do believe that this is assumed by the SR and R," said Doctor Anderson, a member of the governance committee, referring to the student rights and responsibilities framework. Committee members asked that any language the committee considered important be cross‑referenced or added into the two policies that serve as the primary references.

A staff memo dated June 16 and materials from the legal office and the Office of the Chief Equity Officer were available to the committee; members requested that the memo be included in the meeting packet. After discussion, a motion to retire Policy 2620 and to ensure that missing or important language appears in other policies was made and seconded. The motion passed unanimously; the committee chair said the recommendation will be sent to the full School Board for action.

Committee members stressed that retiring the standalone policy should not create gaps in guidance for schools. The committee directed staff to confirm where any retained language would reside and to include the legal cross references in the packet sent to the board. No implementation dates or budgetary impacts were discussed at the committee meeting.

The committee’s action is a recommendation; final adoption requires action by the full Fairfax County School Board.