This professional learning session equips Tennessee school and district leaders with current legal knowledge and practical decision-making tools relatedto student discipline, Section 504, IDEA, and lawful search procedures. Led by education attorney Chuck Cagle and his legal staff, the session connects timely legal updates to daily instructional leadership responsibilities, including due process, manifestation determination reviews, disability protections, student rights, school safety, and implementation of Tennessee law and board policy. Although this event is part of our three-part Leaders and the Law series with Mr. Cagle, this session is submitted with its own title, date, focus area, and four-hour credit request.
The session is designed for Tennessee school and district leaders who are responsible for ensuring that student discipline, Section 504, IDEA, search procedures, investigations, and student interviews are implemented consistently, legally, and in ways that protect student access to instruction.
Overview of the day:
Leaders and the Law with Chuck Cagle: Student Discipline, Section 504, IDEA, and Search Procedures 2026
Focus: Legal expectations around student rights, disciplinary procedures, disability protections, and lawful investigations.
Topics include:
Suspension/expulsion policies and procedural safeguards
Manifestation Determination Reviews (MDRs)
Section 504/IDEA legal distinctions
Legal boundaries for searches, investigations, and student interviews
Additional discipline, Section 504, special education, and student-rights topics will be addressed through structured question-and-answer discussions during the session.
This Leaders and the Law session will help participants gain clarity on school law expectations and leadership responsibilities related to student discipline, Section 504, IDEA, manifestation determination reviews, lawful search procedures, investigations, student interviews, and student-rights issues. Learning will support administrators in aligning school practices with Tennessee law, federal requirements, local board policy, and procedures that preserve instructional time and protect student access to learning.
*** 4 HOURS TASL CREDIT ***