§416.18.1. School Employee Bill of Rights
A. Respecting the authority of school employees is essential to creating a safe
environment conducive to learning, effective instruction in the classroom, and proper
administration of city, parish, and other local public schools. To maintain and protect that
authority, it is important that school employees, administrators, parents, and students are
fully informed of the various rights conferred upon school employees pursuant to this
Section, which are:
(1) A school employee has the right to work in a safe, secure, and orderly
environment that is conducive to learning and free from recognized dangers or hazards that
are causing or likely to cause serious injury in accordance with R.S. 17:416.9 and 416.16.
(2) A school employee has the right to work free from the fear of frivolous lawsuits,
including the right to qualified immunity and to a legal defense, and to indemnification by
the employing school board, pursuant to R.S. 17:416.4, 416.11, and 439, for actions taken
in the performance of duties of the school employee's employment.
(3) A school employee has the right to hold students accountable for disorderly
conduct, in accordance with R.S. 17:416 and 416.14 and any city, parish, or other local
public school board regulation.
(4) A school employee has the right to have his professional judgment and discretion
respected by school and district administrators in any disciplinary action taken by the school
employee in accordance with school and district policy and with R.S. 17:416(A)(1)(a) and
(b).
(5) A school employee shall have the right to be involved in decisions regarding
student behavior management in accordance with R.S. 17:416.8.
(6) A school employee shall have the right to additional compensation in accordance
with R.S. 17:418 and 419.2, and any compensation provided by any city, parish, or other
local public school board regulation.
(7) A school employee shall not have his wages reduced for any school year below
the amount paid to the school employee in hourly wage or annual salary during the previous
school year, nor shall the amount of the hourly wage or annual salary paid to any school
employee be reduced at any time during an academic year in accordance with R.S. 17:422.6.
(8) A school employee serving as a substitute teacher shall have the right to
additional compensation as provided in R.S. 17:419.3.
(9) A school employee has the right to be treated with civility and respect as
provided in R.S. 17:416.12.
(10) A school employee shall have the right to perform noncomplex medical
procedures only if all the requirements in R.S. 17:436 have been met and documented.
(11) A school employee shall have the right to administer medication only if all the
requirements in R.S. 17:436.1 have been met and documented.
(12) A school employee required by law or regulation to be trained for a specific job
requirement shall be required to perform those specific duties only if they have received the
mandated training and the training has been documented as required by law or regulation.
(13) A school employee shall have the right to professional development and career
advancement and should be supported in advancing their careers, pursuant to R.S. 17:7.4,
7.7, and 7.8.
(14) A school employee has the right to complete only paperwork that is not
excessively burdensome and that, if required by law or regulation, adheres to the law or
regulation and does not result in overly cumbersome interpretations of that law or regulation.
B. No city, parish, or other local public school board shall establish policies that
prevent school employees from exercising the rights provided in this Section or in any other
provision included in R.S. 17:416 and 416.14. No principal or administrator shall retaliate
or take adverse employment action against a school employee for exercising the rights
provided in this Section. However, the provisions of this Section do not authorize a school
employee to violate the provisions of any discipline policy adopted by the public school
governing authority.
C. The provisions of this Section shall not be construed to supersede any other state
law, State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education policy, or city, parish, or other
local public school board policy enacted or adopted relative to the discipline of students.
D. Each city, parish, or other local public school board shall provide a copy of this
Section to all school employees at the beginning of each school year in a form or manner
approved by the school board. Each school board also shall post a copy of the rights provided
in this Section in a prominent place in every school and administrative building it operates
and provide a copy to parents or legal guardians of all children attending schools in a form
and manner approved by the school board. Each city, parish, or other local public school
board and every school under its jurisdiction that maintains an internet website shall post on
the website a copy of the School Employee Bill of Rights required by this Section.
E. This Section shall not be construed to require a public school governing authority
to spend its funds to purchase displays. In order to fund the displays free of charge, the
school public governing authority shall do either of the following:
(1) Accept donated funds to purchase the displays.
(2) Accept donated displays.
F. The State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education shall adopt rules and
regulations in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to ensure the proper
implementation of this Section.
Acts 2025, No. 439, §1, eff. June 20, 2025.