Kentucky senator proposes bill to strengthen protections for teachers, school staff
FRANKFORT, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) — As lawmakers head into the second week of the legislative session in Frankfort, one Kentucky senator is pushing new legislation aimed at better protecting teachers and school staff from violence in the classroom.
Senator Matt Nunn has introduced Senate Bill 101, a proposal designed to crack down on assaults against teachers and other school employees.
Under the bill, the age threshold for charging a student who assaults a teacher or school staff member would be lowered from 16 to 14. The measure would also remove the current requirement that a student have a prior offense before charges can be filed.
“The first thing that it does is lower the threshold to charge a student who assaults a teacher or school employee from age 16 to 14 and removes the requirement they have one prior offense,” Nunn said.
The bill would also require a mandatory 12-month expulsion for students who physically injure a school employee. In addition, all attempted assaults on school staff would have to be reported, with criminal penalties for anyone who fails to do so.
Nunn says the proposal mirrors legislation passed in 2024 that made assaulting a health care worker in a medical setting a felony. He believes similar protections should apply to educators.
The issue, he says, has been personal long before his time in office.
“I had a real good friend — she’s a small-statured person — and she was a high school teacher,” Nunn said. “She talked about boys that were my size, who had no respect for authority and no fear of consequences. It made her fearful for her physical safety every day going to work.”
Senate Bill 101 would build on student discipline laws approved during the 2025 legislative session. Nunn says the goal is to make sure teachers and school staff aren’t left vulnerable while doing their jobs.
If approved, the measure would take effect later this year. Nunn says he would be surprised if the bill does not pass.
