Criminal or other illegal behavior is prohibited. Any student who the principal reasonably believes to have engaged in criminal behavior on the school premises or at school activities will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action as stated in applicable Wilkes County Board of Education policies and may be criminally prosecuted as well.
School officials will cooperate fully with any criminal investigation and prosecution. Any criminal behavior that also violates school rules or Board of Education policy will be investigated independently from the criminal investigation and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken.
A. Students Charged with or Convicted of Criminal Behavior
The superintendent and principal may take reasonable or legally required measures to preserve a safe, orderly environment when a student has been charged with or convicted of a serious crime, regardless of whether the alleged offense was committed on school grounds or was related to school activities. Depending upon the circumstances, including the nature of the crime or alleged crime, the child's age, and the publicity within the school community, reasonable or legally required efforts may include changing a student's classroom assignment or transferring the student to another school. Transfer to an alternative school may be made in accordance with the criteria established in policy 3470/4305, Alternative Learning Programs/Schools. The student will continue to be provided with educational opportunities unless and until the student is found to have violated board policy or school rules and is suspended or expelled in accordance with procedures established in board policy.
B. Reporting Criminal Behavior
A school employee is permitted to report to law enforcement an assault by a student on a school employee. Principals or other supervisors shall not, by threats or in any other manner, intimidate, or attempt to intimidate the school employee from doing so.
Principals must immediately report to law enforcement the following acts when they have personal knowledge or actual notice from school personnel that such acts have occurred on school property, regardless of the age or grade of the perpetrator or victim: (1) assault resulting in serious personal injury; (2) sexual assault; (3) sexual offense; (4) rape; (5) kidnapping; (6) indecent liberties with a minor; (7) assault involving the use of a weapon; (8) possession of a firearm in violation of the law; (9) possession of a weapon in violation of the law; and (10) possession of a controlled substance in violation of the law. A principal who willfully fails to make a required report to law enforcement will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
The principal or designee shall notify the superintendent or designee in writing or by e-mail of any report made by the principal to law enforcement. Such notice must occur by the end of the workday in which the incident occurred, when reasonably possible, but not later than the end of the following workday.
In addition, the principal or designee must promptly notify the parents if a school system employee suspects that any criminal offense has been committed against the parents' child, including but not limited to any of the offenses required to be reported to law enforcement, regardless of where the offense allegedly occurred, unless the incident has been reported to law enforcement or the county child services agency and notification of the parents would impede the investigation.
Certain crimes must be reported to the Department of Public Instruction in accordance with 16 N.C.A.C. 6E .0107.
Legal References: Gun-Free Schools Act, 20 U.S.C. 7961; G.S. 14-17, -18, -27.21, -27.22, -27.24 through 27.27, -27.29, -27.30, -27.33, -32 through -34.10, -39, -87, -202, -202.1, -202.2, -269.2; ch. 90 art. 5; 114A-10; 115C-47(56), -288(g); 16 N.C.A.C. 6E .0107
Cross References: Alternative Learning Programs (policy 3470/4305), Student Discipline (policy 4303)
Adopted: January 9, 2006
Revised: September 11, 2023