Category Archive: School Law and Liability

Create a realistic focus when using school security cameras

Posted by on July 20, 2014

The post-Sandy Hook education community has seen a heavily skewed response to the shootings with millions of dollars being thrown at physical security measures. School security cameras have often been at the top of the list as state legislators dish out grant money or local districts throw up some new cameras in response to parent […]

Teaching students to attack gunmen is NOT the standard of care

Posted by on February 24, 2014

Is teaching students to throw things at, and to attack, heavily armed gunmen really the new standard of care? This question was recently raised in a conversation I had with a veteran school security director for a large U.S. school district. He was concerned that some individuals may mistakenly be lead to believe that such […]

Ken Trump provides insights into school security camera failures

Posted by on November 14, 2013

Columbus, Ohio, investigative reporter Paul Aker of 10 Investigates (WBNS) sat down with Ken Trump to get an inside look at school security camera equipment malfunctions — a problem we see around the nation during our school security assessments. Ken Trump Visit School Security Blog at:  www.schoolsecurityblog.com Follow Ken on Twitter @safeschools Visit and “Like” Our Facebook School Safety News Channel at: www.facebook.com/schoolsafety

I-Teams find malfunctioning school security surveillance cameras; How to stay ahead

Posted by on November 13, 2013

Your school district puts surveillance cameras in schools to protect students and staff. But what good are they if they are not working? Investigative news stories reveal malfunctioning, unrepaired school security cameras Recent investigative news stories uncovered disturbing school security equipment failures, in particular focusing on camera systems not being repaired in a timely manner: […]

School police expert: ALICE training is a safety, liability risk

Posted by on November 12, 2012

A veteran national expert on school-based police today called teaching school students to attack armed intruders a safety and liability risk for school boards and superintendents, as well as law enforcement agencies. “A.L.I.C.E. training should be a huge red flag for school and police administrators, especially in the liability arena. Both the legal staff and […]

Buyer beware: Risky school safety consultants, expert witnesses

Posted by on July 4, 2012

More than a decade ago, I co-authored an article for the National School Boards Association entitled, “Buyer Beware: What to look for when hiring a school security consultant.” I would have never thought at that time that the topic would be as relevant, if not more so, eleven years later — but it is. The […]

Lawyers, media talk school safety even when educators don’t

Posted by on April 2, 2012

School officials may be talking less about school safety today, but lawyers and the media certainly are not silent on the topic. Many school security directors, school police chiefs and school safety consultants will tell you (at least privately) that getting school boards, administrators and staff to consistently focus proactively on school safety is increasingly […]

Origin & rejection of ALICE Training: Kids fighting armed gunmen

Posted by on December 27, 2011

Most school leaders probably don’t know that the component of ALICE training in which children are taught to attack armed intruders in schools was actually rejected by the school district in which the model originated in 2006. A.L.I.C.E. (Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate) Training is a program being advocated in a small but noticeable number of school-communities.  Along with others in education and […]

Parent questions: ALICE Training & teaching kids to fight gunmen

Posted by on November 28, 2011

  Most of us who are parents agree that safety is more important than academics at our schools.  We entrust educators with our children for a good chunk of time each school day.  We demand that they take reasonable steps to protect our kids, and expect that they use good common sense in doing so. Yet […]

School Safety Challenged by Volunteer Criminal Backgrounds

Posted by on September 23, 2010

Is the parent volunteer in your child’s school a convicted sex offender or drug dealer? School officials struggle balancing parental involvement and protecting students from adults with criminal backgrounds who want to volunteer at their child’s school.  The tension was highlighted in Wednesday’s Associated Press article entitled Would-be School Volunteers Thwarted By Their Past.  Parent […]