SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Act 565, known as the “Teacher and Student Protection Act” went into effect Aug. 5 and gives teachers the power to remove disruptive or violent students from classrooms. Now that classes are in session for the 2025-26, some school officials are reacting to the new law.
Arkansas State Representative Scott Richardson is the driving force behind this bill. He said he knew legislation was needed to protect teachers in classrooms after speaking with a teacher while going door to door.
“I distinctly remember running into a lady that when she answered the door, she had a very prominent black eye… she began to tell me that this was the result of a student in her classroom who had attacked her for the second time in three days,” Richardson told 5NEWS…