La. R.S. 17:416 governs school discipline in Louisiana. It sets out the reasons for which public schools may discipline students, the types of disciplinary consequences schools may assign and the procedural requirements that schools must follow. Each school district then creates its own disciplinary code and policies, which must be consistent with La. R.S. 17:416. While the statute outlines numerous offenses that can result in suspensions and expulsions, school districts have the leeway to enact policies that proscribe additional behaviors.
Importantly, schools can only discipline students for behavior that occurs in school, on the street or road while going to or returning from school, on a school bus, or at a school-sponsored activity or function.1 Schools cannot discipline students for off-campus behavior that is unrelated to school.
- 1See La. R.S. 17:416(A)(1)(a).