Joe Lieberman: “I voted against these amendments because ultimately I believe that we should consider such proposals when the Senate…”

“I voted against these amendments because ultimately I believe that we should consider such proposals when the Senate debates the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, next year. I support the provisions in the Harkin amendment that would allow States and local education agencies to establish and implement uniform policies regarding discipline applicable to all children. This would allow school personnel to remove students from school for disruptive behavior, if such behavior is determined not to be a manifestation of the student's disability. The amendment further states that school districts must provide education services to such students in an alternative setting. Although I agree with my colleague that schools should strive to uphold such provisions, I believe there may be special exemptions to this, such as when a student poses a violent threat to educators and other students.”