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Violent assaults against elementary school teachers are no longer rare incidents. In too many Oklahoma schools, teachers working with young children are being punched, kicked, choked, and threatened with alarming regularity. After such attacks, students and teachers too often find themselves placed back in the same situation the very next day, with little to no meaningful intervention. Though an attack may last only a few moments, the damage to students, teachers, and the learning environment persists.
Though an attack may last only a few moments, the damage to students, teachers, and the learning environment persists.
House Bill 3885 addresses this problem by compelling immediate disciplinary intervention. The bill builds on Oklahoma’s existing disciplinary policy for students in grades six through twelve by extending a similar framework to students in grades three through five, with several important modifications. Under HB 3885, any student in grades three through five who assaults or attempts to cause physical injury to a school employee or school volunteer will be subject to:
- a three-day in-school suspension for the first offense
- a seven-day out-of-school suspension for the second offense
- expulsion from the school for a third offense
However, the bill allows for the district superintendent to modify any of these suspension terms on a case-by-case basis to account for mitigating or compounding factors. The bill requires meaningful action, but grants flexibility for nuanced approaches.
At its core, the purpose of the bill is to ensure that serious violence in elementary schools is met with a clear, structured response rather than delay, inconsistency, or inaction. The bill establishes a straightforward disciplinary framework that gives school administrators repeated opportunities to intervene, address violent behavior, and correct it before it worsens. The bill does not dictate specifics, but ensures action is taken to protect our students, teachers, and school community.
Broad support for HB 3885 is evident. Nearly 80% of respondents in a recent POE survey said they support or strongly support the bill, and it passed the Oklahoma House on a bipartisan 83–14 vote. Yet despite that momentum, the bill may still face an uphill challenge in the Senate—not because of opposition, but because of time.
The Oklahoma Legislature has set an early end date of May 1. This means HB 3885 must pass the Senate Education Committee by April 21 and the full Senate Chamber by May 1. The bill has the support, the question is: does it have the time?
HB 3885 bill is not simply about discipline; it is about student and teacher safety.
Nearly 80% of respondents in a recent POE survey said they support or strongly support the House Bill 3885.