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Committee hears bill to add school staff to public-official threats statute
Summary
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on House Bill 5262, which would add school personnel to the definition of “public official” for the criminal prohibition on threats. Supporters said threats against school staff have risen; civil liberties groups urged caution and narrower language tied to intent and student exclusions.
House Bill 5262 would expand the state’s criminal prohibition against making threats to include school superintendents, principals and other school employees as “public officials.” The bill’s sponsor and education advocates told the House Committee on Judiciary on Feb. 4 that recent years have seen an increase in harassing and threatening conduct against school staff.
The bill’s advocates said the change is narrowly aimed at adults who threaten staff and is intended as a deterrent. Tim Ryan of the Rhode Island School Superintendents Association testified that "teachers,…
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