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Teacher testimony and charter concerns surround assault/battery bill (HB 283); author to revise language and defer
Summary
House Bill 283 would expand disciplinary responses and sick‑leave coverage for school employees injured by students. A longtime teacher testified about an on‑campus injury; charter schools, disability advocates and senators asked for clarifying language protecting federal IEP/FAPE rights and options when no alternative placements exist; the bill was voluntarily deferred for further drafting.
House Bill 283 (Rep. Newell) would expand school responses to assault and battery of school employees, mandate documentation and alternative placement in serious cases, and clarify sick‑leave use to cover ongoing medical and psychological treatment after an on‑the‑job assault. Representative Newell introduced the amendment that removed charter‑specific mandates from the bill and clarified off‑campus jurisdiction for incidents that begin on school property.
A teacher, Nikkita Drummond Clark, recounted a January 8, 2025 classroom assault that resulted in a rotator‑cuff injury and later surgery, telling the committee she ultimately retired because she could not safely continue classroom discipline. Larry Carter (Louisiana Federation of Teachers) described the bill as targeted to assaults rather than ordinary misbehavior and urged support to ensure employees receive appropriate follow‑up care.
Charter leaders and rural district representatives suggested flexibilities where a district has no alternative placement; Caroline Romer (Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools) proposed a readmission plan with safety guarantees where no other school is available. Disability advocates and senators pushed for tighter language to ensure federal protections for students with exceptionalities and to avoid jeopardizing federal funding. Representative Newell, the author, agreed to work with stakeholders and staff; the committee agreed to voluntarily defer the bill until next week for drafting refinements.
No final vote was recorded in the transcript; stakeholders will continue to refine statutory language on student due process, alternative placement and preservation of federal IEP authority.
