Since 1993, it has been the policy of the Attorney General's Office to notify the superintendents of individual school districts of serious crimes committed by students off of school property. This procedure has nothing to do with the School Crime Reporting Law, which requires that certain crimes at school be reported to the police. The two should not be confused.

If the superintendent's office has reason to believe that a student has been arrested for a violent felony (Click Here for Violent felony list) and the superintendent has not received a notification letter, please contact Sandy Schock at Sandra.Schock@State.De.Us or 577-8500. For instance, if a student in school is wearing an electronic bracelet on his/her leg, and the superintendent's office doesn't know why, they will want to contact Ms. Schock.

In 1992, the Superior Court of Delaware decided the case of Howard v. Colonial School District. The Court addressed the issue of whether a School District has the ability to expel a student for off-campus non-school activity drug sales. In the case, the School Board had decided that the student, even as an off-campus drug dealer, posed a threat to the safety and welfare of other District students. The Court found that the Board correctly used its power to expel.

The Court also noted that it was "not ruling that all off-campus, non-school activity conduct subjects a student to the threat of expulsion. A clearer Code of Conduct would help to delineate such conduct."

Confidentiality of Juvenile Criminal Convictions

The only juvenile crimes concerning which the Family Court Clerk may release information to the media are class A misdemeanors and felonies where the juvenile is between the ages of 13 and 17. Click Here for law

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS WEBSITE IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF ISSUES RELATED TO SCHOOL LAW

general overview of issues related to school law

* The information contained on this website is intended to provide a general overview of issues related to school law. While the Attorney General's Office has made every effort to ensure that the material included reflects the Delaware law as of August 1, 2002, it should be noted that the information is subject to constant change. Although the information presented strives for accuracy, it should not be taken as legal advice. School administrators should consult their school district's attorney or Deputy Attorney General for guidance on specific questions or cases.

Full Victim Contact List