Any act of a student which is a basis for expulsion and which the principal or designee knows or suspects is a violation of the Nebraska Criminal Code will be reported to law enforcement as soon as possible. Conduct to be reported to law enforcement includes conduct that may constitute a felony, conduct which may constitute a threat to the safety or wellbeing of students or others in school programs and activities and conduct that the legal system is better equipped to address than school officials. Conduct that does not need to be reported to law enforcement includes typical adolescent behavior that can be addressed by school administrators without the involvement of law enforcement. In making the decision of whether to report, consideration should be given to the student’s maturity, mental capacity and behavioral disorders, where applicable. When appropriate, it shall be the responsibility of the referring administrator to contact the student’s parent of the fact the referral to legal authorities has been or will be made.
The foregoing reporting standards shall be reviewed annually by the school board on or before August 1 of each year, be annually reviewed in collaboration with the Lancaster County Attorney each year, or at the time of enrollment if during the school year, and shall be posted in conspicuous places in each school during the school year.
When a principal or other school official releases a minor student to a peace officer (e.g., police officer, sheriff, and all other persons with similar authority to make arrests) for the purpose of removing the minor from the school premises, the principal or other school official shall take immediate steps to notify the parent, guardian, or responsible relative of the minor regarding the release of the minor to the officer and regarding the place to which the minor is reportedly being taken, except when a minor has been taken into custody as a victim of suspected child abuse, or when informing the parent would negatively impact an ongoing investigation in which case the principal or other school official shall provide the peace officer with the address and telephone number of the minor’s parents or guardian.