Suspended in South Carolina: the three-day conference, the expulsion hearing, and bullying reports

South Carolina's compulsory attendance law (the rule that says a child must go to school) starts in the school year a child turns 5 before September 1. It lasts until the 17th birthday or high school graduation. A parent whose child is not yet 6 by September 1 can sign a written form with the district to skip kindergarten.

The U.S. Supreme Court set the national floor in Goss v. Lopez (1975). It held that before a suspension of 10 days or less, a student must be told the charges and, if the student denies them, hear the evidence and get a chance to tell their side. South Carolina's statute adds more steps on top of that.

A principal or other administrator can suspend a student for no more than 10 days for one offense and no more than 30 days in one school year. The parents must get written notice with the reason and a conference within three days. After that conference, they can appeal to the district board of trustees.

An expulsion (removal for the rest of the school year) needs a hearing. The written notice must tell parents they may bring a lawyer and question every witness, and it must include contact information for a legal aid provider that may offer free help. Families also have the right to see the full investigative file, including videos, at least three days before the hearing. The hearing happens within 15 days of the notice, and a decision comes within 10 days after it. The board's decision can be appealed to court.

Two harder rules exist. A student who brings a firearm to school must be expelled for at least one year, though the superintendent can change that case by case. And state law still lets each district allow corporal punishment, so check your district's handbook.

South Carolina's anti-bullying law is the Safe School Climate Act. It covers harassment, intimidation, or bullying in class, on the bus, at the bus stop, and at school events, and it includes electronic messages. Staff, students, and volunteers who see bullying or have reliable information about it must report it.

Every district must have a written policy. It must allow anonymous reports, name the staff who take and investigate them, promise prompt investigation of serious complaints, and ban retaliation against the person who reported.