Washington § 28A.600.495 - Student discipline terminology — "Emergency removal" — Posting of bulletin — Retroactive application.

(1) The legislature recognizes that public schools have the authority to immediately remove a student from school if the student poses an immediate and continuing danger to other students or to school staff, or if the student poses an immediate and continuing threat of material and substantial disruption of the education process. The legislature acknowledges that emergency expulsion is limited to 10 consecutive school days, the school must provide an opportunity for the student to receive educational services during the emergency expulsion, and both the emergency expulsion and any suspension or expulsion that the emergency expulsion is converted to can be appealed. However, the legislature finds that emergency expulsion tarnishes a student's reputation and self-image, which can result in school staff, fellow students, or the student's families making assumptions about the student, and, in some cases, these assumptions result in harassment, intimidation, or bullying of the student. Therefore, the legislature intends to discontinue the use of the prejudicial term "emergency expulsion," and replace it with the term "emergency removal," which is a more accurate description of the temporary removal of a student from school to assess and properly respond to an emergent situation involving the student.

(2) As soon as possible after July 23, 2023, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must publish a bulletin to notify school districts and public schools that the term "emergency removal" must be used instead of the term "emergency expulsion" in the context of student discipline and as required by RCW 28A.300.042 and 28A.600.015. The legislature's intent as described in subsection (1) of this section must be included in the bulletin. The bulletin must also include guidance about student discipline data collection and historical data comparison.

(3) A student who was emergency expelled between September 1, 2019, and July 23, 2023, may request that any reference to "emergency expulsion" in the student's education record be revised to "emergency removal."