GOVERNOR'S VETO

Pursuant to Article V, Section 6, of the Constitution of Virginia, I veto House Bill 398, which prohibits certain school discipline methods without first using a restorative practice.

Virginia is in the midst of a school discipline crisis. On November 17, 2023, twenty-seven Charlottesville High School teachers refused to come to school after a wave of classroom violence resulted in police being called to the school twice in one day. Teachers who are concerned about decaying discipline in our schools consistently point to a failure to confront and address the small number of students who are responsible for this violence.

Fundamentally, for our schools to be safe places for young Virginians to learn and become active citizens, they must be safe. The bill proposes a top-down mandate, forcing school administrators to first utilize restorative practices rather than immediately suspending or otherwise disciplining students who are violent in school.

Accordingly, I veto this bill.