LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Educators, attorneys and disability rights advocates are speaking out against a bill that would allow Nebraska teachers to physically restrain disruptive students.
Opponents spoke during a Tuesday evening committee hearing on the bill. They say it will harm students and may violate federal law protecting students with disabilities.
The bill would make teachers who use such force immune from legal action and administrative discipline.
Sen. Mike Groene sponsored the measure in response to a 2014 incident in his hometown of North Platte in which a long-time elementary school teacher grabbed an 8-year-old boy's foot and dragged him about 90 feet.
The bill's sole supporter, the Nebraska State Education Association, says thousands of teachers have voiced concerns about classroom safety because of disruptive students.
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