Those days are long gone. Now, a school employee who touches a student for perfectly innocent reasons may be accused of child abuse, sexual harassment, or assault. We've all heard or read of employees being charged with such crimes. It's not fair, but the reality is, the eventual disposition of the charges may have a far lesser impact than the original accusations. The reputation and career of a totally innocent employee may be irreparably damaged.
Some students come to school with knives, guns, and other weapons.
An employee trying to restrain or discipline such a student risks bodily harm. It does permit a teacher to use physical force to protect a student or teacher from physical injury, to protect school property, or to restrain or remove a disorderly student. If at all possible, secure assistance from school administrators before acting. The use of physical force should only occur as a last resort in a drastic situation. If you must use physical force against a student to protect or restrain, make sure there are witnesses to the sequence of events.