BATAVIA
City School Board votes down self defense definition after public hearing, but adds powdered alcohol(palcohol) to the list of banned substances at school
After a public hearing on updating the Code of Conduct and adding self defense as a definition to the the Code of Conduct, the City of Batavia School Board decided to vote down the addition of self defense by a 4-3 vote.
The Board did however vote 7-0 to add powdered alcohol to the list of banned substances in the district.
There are concerns about powdered alcohol abuse by minors and worries that it would be easy to smuggle into school.
Superintendent Christopher Dailey says the district would like to stay ahead of the game and not have the issue the High School had with E-cigarettes at the beginning of the school year.
School Board member Gretchen DiFante stated her concerns about adding the definition of self defense without changing the policy during the public hearing.
DiFante says the definition without the policy might open up a can of worms. She says the Batavia Police Department is also concerned, wondering if adding self defense is going to achieve what the district is looking to accomplish.
The definition reads, a student has the right to protect self from uninvited physical harm or injury. A valid claim of self defense requires the danger of bodily harm to have been imminent, that the student was unable to decline or escape the conflict, and that the student used reasonable force and restraint in protecting him/herself. Retaliation is not self defense.
DiFante also questioned the community involvement on the Code of Conduct Committee. She questioned why teachers and parents were not involved and why the police chief was not advised of the proposed change.
The District has been working with local law enforcement agencies and can press charges if needed in disciplinary situations where there is a violation of the law.
Since that change has been in place, fighting on school grounds has dropped.
The self defense language will now go back to the committee for review and the board will be looking into more input from the City Police Department.
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