California Bans Student Suspensions for Defying Teachers, Disrupting Classes

“No more kicking kids out of school for minor disruptions. Students belong in school where they can succeed,” the lawmaker said.

A class at Stark Elementary School in Stamford, Conn., on March 10, 2021. John Moore/Getty Images

It will be illegal for California public schools to suspend students for disrupting class or defying teachers—known as willful defiance suspensions—starting July 1, 2024.

“With Governor Newsom’s signing of SB 274, California is putting the needs of students first,” bill author Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) said in a statement a day after the governor’s signing Oct. 8. “No more kicking kids out of school for minor disruptions. Students belong in school where they can succeed.”