Are there situations when the law requires that a student be suspended or expelled?
Yes.
- If a student commits an assault against a school employee on school premises or at a school event, the student "shall be suspended for a time to be determined by the principal." The local board "shall review the suspension" and decide whether to hold a disciplinary hearing to order further sanctions against the student, including expulsion. Iowa Code section 282.4(2).
- If a student is determined to have possessed a firearm at school, the student "shall" be expelled "for a period of not less than one year." However, the superintendent may "modify expulsion requirements on a case-by-case basis." Iowa Code section 280.21B; 18 U.S.C. section 921.