Colorado Legislature Reexamining Post-Columbine Discipline Policies

The AP (7/29) reports on a hearing of a Colorado legislative panel in Denver exploring the state's "strict disciplinary policies, many of which were implemented in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School shootings and other high-profile cases of youth violence." One legislator on the panel "said zero-tolerance policies have led to the 'over-criminalization' of students and that law enforcement sometimes feels shackled because they're left with little discretion on how to deal with problem students," and the AP notes that other states and districts across the country are also considering the value of such draconian policies.