§ 17:410 — Safety education; recognition and reporting of potential threats to safety

§410. Safety education; recognition and reporting of potential threats to safety
A. Each public school governing authority, in consultation with local law
enforcement agencies, shall develop and distribute age and grade appropriate information to
each student regarding internet and cell phone safety and online content that is a potential
threat to school safety. The information shall include how to recognize and report potential
threats to school safety that are posted on the internet, including but not limited to posts on
social media. The information shall either be distributed to or explained to students and
school personnel at the beginning of each school year and shall be posted on an easily
accessible page of each school's website and the website of the school's governing authority.
B. The information shall include the following:
(1) Instruction on how to detect potential threats to school safety exhibited online,
including on any social media platform.
(2) Visual examples of possible threats.
(3) The reporting process, as provided in Subsection C of this Section.
C. Each public school governing authority shall develop procedures for reporting
potential threats to school safety. The reporting procedures, at a minimum, shall include:
(1) A standardized form to be used by students and school personnel to report
potential threats which requests, at a minimum, the following information:
(a) Name of school, person, or group being threatened.
(b) Name of student, individual, or group threatening violence.
(c) Date and time the threat was made.
(d) Method by which the threat was made, including the social media outlet or
website where the threat was posted, a screenshot or recording of the threat, if available, and
any printed evidence of the threat.
(2) A process for allowing school personnel to assist students in completing the
standardized form.
(3) A process for allowing reporting by an automated voice system.
(4) A process for allowing anonymous reporting and for safeguarding the identity of
a person who reports a threat.
(5) For every threat reported, a school administrator shall record, on the form
provided for by this Subsection, the action taken by the school.
D. If information reported to a school pursuant to Subsection C of this Section is
deemed a potential threat to school safety, the school shall present the form and evidence to
local law enforcement agencies. If the information poses an immediate threat, school
administrators shall follow procedures provided in R.S. 17:416.16.

Legislative History

Acts 2018, No. 641, §1.