Minnesota § 121A.582 STUDENT DISCIPLINE; REASONABLE FORCE

Minnesota Statutes

§ 121A.582 — STUDENT DISCIPLINE; REASONABLE FORCE

Minnesota § 121A.582

PartEDUCATION CODE: PREKINDERGARTEN - GRADE 12

Ch. 121ASTUDENT RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND BEHAVIOR

This text of Minnesota § 121A.582 (STUDENT DISCIPLINE; REASONABLE FORCE) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Minn. Stat. § 121A.582 (2026).

Text

Subdivision 1.Reasonable force standard.

(a)A teacher or school principal, in exercising the person's lawful authority, may use reasonable force when it is necessary under the circumstances to correct or restrain a student to prevent bodily harm or death to the student or to another.

(b)A school employee, school bus driver, or other agent of a district, in exercising the person's lawful authority, may use reasonable force when it is necessary under the circumstances to restrain a student to prevent bodily harm or death to the student or to another.

(c)Paragraphs (a) and (b) do not authorize conduct prohibited under section125A.0942.

(d)Districts must report data on their use of any reasonable force used on a student with a disability to correct or restrain the student to prevent bodil

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Subdivision 1.Reasonable force standard.
(a) A teacher or school principal, in exercising the person's lawful authority, may use reasonable force when it is necessary under the circumstances to correct or restrain a student to prevent bodily harm or death to the student or to another.
(b) A school employee, school bus driver, or other agent of a district, in exercising the person's lawful authority, may use reasonable force when it is necessary under the circumstances to restrain a student to prevent bodily harm or death to the student or to another.
(c) Paragraphs (a) and (b) do not authorize conduct prohibited under section125A.0942.
(d) Districts must report data on their use of any reasonable force used on a student with a disability to correct or restrain the student to prevent bodily harm or death to the student or another that is consistent with the definition of physical holding under section125A.0941, paragraph (c), as outlined in section125A.0942, subdivision 3, paragraph (b).
(e) Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, districts must report annually by July 15, in a form and manner determined by the commissioner, data from the prior school year about any reasonable force used on a general education student to correct or restrain the student to prevent bodily harm or death to the student or another that is consistent with the definition of physical holding under section125A.0941, paragraph (c).

Subd. 2.Civil liability.
(a) A teacher or school principal who, in the exercise of the person's lawful authority, uses reasonable force under the standard in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), has a defense against a civil action for damages under section123B.25.
(b) A school employee, bus driver, or other agent of a district who, in the exercise of the person's lawful authority, uses reasonable force under the standard in subdivision 1, paragraph (b), has a defense against a civil action for damages under section123B.25.

Subd. 3.Criminal prosecution.
(a) A teacher or school principal who, in the exercise of the person's lawful authority, uses reasonable force under the standard in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), has a defense against a criminal prosecution under section609.06, subdivision 1.
(b) A school employee, bus driver, or other agent of a district who, in the exercise of the person's lawful authority, uses reasonable force under the standard in subdivision 1, paragraph (b), has a defense against a criminal prosecution under section609.06, subdivision 1.

Subd. 4.Supplementary rights and defenses.
Any right or defense in this section is supplementary to those specified in section121A.58,121A.67,123B.25, or609.06, subdivision 1.

Subd. 5.Definition.
For the purpose of this section, a school resource officer, as defined in section626.8482, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), is not a school employee or agent of the district.