This bill would amend Subpart 2 of Part 2 of Article 16 of Chapter 2 of Title 20 of the O.C.G.A. to provide that a student could elect to have a disciplinary hearing before non-school officials. The hearing could be conducted by a disciplinary hearing officer, panel or tribunal. The LBOE would, at the beginning of the year, provide a list of possible panel members and provide training and confidentiality agreements for them. Their determination, however, would only be a recommendation to the superintendent and would have no authority of suspension or expulsion. The superintendent’s decision could then be appealed to the LBOE. It would require a LBOE policy to contain:

1. Provisions regarding the selection of hearing officers, panels or tribunals and the number of them;

2. Procedures to be followed in the fact-finding hearings with reports to the LBOE; and

3. Provisions to protect confidentiality of student records.