While most schools have codes of conduct for students, a proposed bill in Tennessee would require schools to have a code of conduct for visiting adults.
Tennessee state Rep. Antonio Parkinson is drafting legislation he told WMC-TV he hopes to file in upcoming weeks. The code would apply to all adults who set foot on school grounds. Parkinson said he got the idea after receiving complaints from constituents about how some parents dressed or behaved when visiting their child's school.
"There was a parent that came into the school, and the parent was in their lingerie and there were body parts exposed, and this was an elementary school, and that’s a real issue,” Parkinson said.
He said he’s also heard of parents fighting, whether it be with children or other adults, while visiting schools. This is why the code will also address conduct by setting rules about fighting, drinking and drug use, he said.
"We're not just talking about parents. We're talking about this code, this minimal based-based code of conduct will cover everyone: educators, students, vendors, visitors, speakers, anyone comes on that campus, sets foot on that campus," Parkinson told WFTV-TV.
Should the bill pass, it would be up to local school districts to decide on specific policies for their schools. The policies would then be posted by school doors.
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