Education Code § 37.002

Sec. 37.002. REMOVAL BY TEACHER. (a) A teacher may send a student to the campus behavior coordinator's office to maintain effective discipline in the classroom. The campus behavior coordinator shall respond by employing appropriate discipline management techniques consistent with the student code of conduct adopted under Section 37.001 that can reasonably be expected to improve the student's behavior before returning the student to the classroom. If the student's behavior does not improve, the campus behavior coordinator shall employ alternative discipline management techniques, including any progressive interventions designated as the responsibility of the campus behavior coordinator in the student code of conduct. (b) A teacher may remove from class a student who: (1) repeatedly interferes with the teacher's ability to communicate effectively with the students in the class or with the ability of the student's classmates to learn; (2) demonstrates behavior that is unruly, disruptive, or abusive toward the teacher, another adult, or another student; or (3) engages in conduct that constitutes bullying, as defined by Section 37.0832. (b-1) A teacher may document any conduct by a student that does not conform to the student code of conduct adopted under Section 37.001 and may submit that documentation to the principal. A school district may not discipline a teacher on the basis of documentation submitted under this subsection. (b-2) A teacher, campus behavior coordinator, or other appropriate administrator shall notify a parent or person standing in parental relation to a student of the removal of a student under this section. (b-3) Subject to Sections 28.0022(a)(2) and (d), a teacher may remove a student from class under Subsection (b) of this section based on a single incident of behavior described by Subsection (b)(1), (2), or (3). (c) If a teacher removes a student from class under Subsection (b), the principal may place the student into another appropriate classroom, into in-school suspension, or into a disciplinary alternative education program as provided by Section 37.008. The principal may not return the student to that teacher's class without the teacher's written consent unless the committee established under Section 37.003 determines that such placement is the best or only alternative available and, not later than the third class day after the day on which the student was removed from class, a conference in which the teacher has been provided an opportunity to participate has been held in accordance with Section 37.009(a). The principal may not return the student to that teacher's class unless the teacher provides written consent for the student's return or a return to class plan has been prepared for that student. The principal may only designate an employee of the school whose primary duties do not include classroom instruction to create a return to class plan. The terms of the removal may prohibit the student from attending or participating in school-sponsored or school-related activity. (c-1) A return to class plan required under Subsection (c) must be created before or at the conference described by that subsection. A plan created before the conference must be discussed at the conference. (c-2) The commissioner shall adopt a model return to class plan for use by a school district in creating a return to class plan for a student under Subsection (c). (d) A teacher shall remove from class and send to the principal for placement in a disciplinary alternative education program or for expulsion, as appropriate, a student who engages in conduct described under Section 37.006 or 37.007. The student may not be returned to that teacher's class without the teacher's written consent unless the committee established under Section 37.003 determines that such placement is the best or only alternative available and a conference in which the teacher has been provided an opportunity to participate has been held in accordance with Section 37.009(a). If the teacher removed the student from class because the student has engaged in the elements of any offense listed in Section 37.006(a)(2)(B) or Section 37.007(a)(2)(A) or (b)(2)(C) against the teacher, the student may not be returned to the teacher's class without the teacher's written consent. The teacher may not be coerced to consent. (e) A student who is sent to the campus behavior coordinator's or other administrator's office under Subsection (a) or removed from class under Subsection (b) is not considered to have been removed from the classroom for the purposes of reporting data through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) or other similar reports required by state or federal law. (e-1) A student may appeal the student's removal from class under this section to: (1) the school's placement review committee established under Section 37.003; or (2) the safe and supportive school team established under Section 37.115, in accordance with a district policy providing for such an appeal to be made to the team. (e-2) The principal, campus behavior coordinator, or other appropriate administrator shall, at the conference required under Section 37.009(a), notify a student who has been removed from class under this section and the parent of or person standing in parental relation to the student of the student's right to appeal under Subsection (e-1). (f) Section 37.004 applies to the removal or placement under this section of a student with a disability who receives special education services. (f-1) The principal, campus behavior coordinator, or other appropriate administrator shall, at the conference required under Section 37.009(a), notify a student who has been removed from class under this section and the parent of or person standing in parental relation to the student of the student's right to appeal under Subsection (f). (g) Section 37.004 applies to the removal or placement under this section of a student with a disability who receives special education services. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 260, Sec. 1, eff. May 30, 1995. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1055, Sec. 5, eff. June 20, 2003. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 504 (H.B. 603), Sec. 2, eff. June 17, 2005. Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1267 (S.B. 107), Sec. 2, eff. June 20, 2015. Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 630 (S.B. 1451), Sec. 3, eff. June 10, 2019. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1065 (H.B. 2), Sec. 3.10, eff. June 20, 2025. Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1066 (H.B. 6), Sec. 8, eff. June 20, 2025.