The Legislature unanimously passed the bill, sponsored by state Sen. John Mitchell, D-Kanawha, on April 13. Wise was expected to sign the bill into law Wednesday night. Mitchell was out of town Wednesday and unavailable for comment. It's a pretty strong statement from the Legislature. Middle and high school principals predict the proposed law will create chaos in their schools, with students cutting classes, roaming hallways, prowling for trouble.
Statistics show that.
To take that away from administrators is terribly wrong. Many school administrators said they were unaware of the legislation until this week. Mitchell's bill spurred no debate, no public outcry or criticism during last month's legislative session. No media reported on the legislation. The state school board and teachers unions did not take a stand on the suspension bill.