School threats bill passes Senate 41-0

OKLAHOMA CITY - The state Senate voted unanimously Wednesday for a bill that would allow schools to suspend students for a year for threatening to kill or seriously harming classmates or teachers.

Sen. Kathleen Wilcoxson, a former teacher, is the author of House Bill 1092, which now goes back to the state House for consideration of Senate amendments.

She said some parents and others might think the punishment allowed in the bill is harsh, but that such threats should be taken seriously, just like how airports handle bomb threats.

``I cannot begin to tell you the number of calls I've gotten from school administrators, educators and parents who are concerned about this problem. The fact is it happens more often than we hear about, and students need to know this simply won't be tolerated,'' Wilcoxson, R-Oklahoma City, said.

Current law allows suspension of a student for violation of a school regulation, immorality, possession of an intoxicating beverage or a dangerous weapon or a controlled dangerous substance.