KNOXVILLE, Tenn — In a proposed security policy that Knox County Schools and the City of Knoxville agree to, new language will address what should happen before a school resource officer intervenes with a special education student.
The change comes after a mother confronted the education leaders. She said her 14-year-old son who has autism was handcuffed and then dragged by a KPD officer in 2020.
"He then got to his state of crisis, his fight or flight mode kicked in very quickly," said Desiree Dale at a KCS board meeting, the boy's mother.
The new policy says that SROs will not get involved in an incident involving a special needs student unless the principal or another person of similar authority requests it. They can also be involved if others are in imminent danger.
Dale gave a statement about the change on Friday:
"I appreciate the start of changes in the agreement between KCS and law enforcement regarding special education ... However, there is still work to do in including the community in these conversations as the school board originally intended to do."
Some parents of Knox County students in special education also still have questions.
"I believe there are other details that will need to be addressed as to specific circumstances that would fit the language of the document," said Dr. Kimberly Russell.
Her daughter is a student in Knox County. She also has autism. Russell said that the new policy is a good first step and that the conversation about how to improve school security should continue.
She said that educators should address when a principal should ask SROs to be involved with situations involving students in special education. She also said that she wanted more information about how 'imminent danger' is defined, including information about who decides whether a situation is dangerous enough to involve an SRO.
"I believe that having the conversation is what will start to change," said Dr. Russell.
Educators in Knox County Schools did not respond to requests to comment for this story. The policy still needs to be approved by the Board of Education before going into practice.