By Tabitha Evans Moore, EDITOR & PUBLISHER

LYNCHBURG — It already covered things like bringing a firearm or illegal drugs onto school property, and on Monday night at the April meeting, the Moore County Board of Education voted unanimously to add being under the influence of or possession of alcohol to the school’s “zero tolerance offenses” policy.

According to Board policy 6.309, committing any “zero tolerance” offense will result in a student being expelled from a local school for at least one calendar year “unless modified by the Director of Schools.”

School officials are also required by state law to refer Zero tolerance offenses to the local juvenile delinquency system.

Alcohol added but CBD left off of zero tolerance policy

According to the agenda, the Board considered adding both alcohol and CBD products to the policy but opted to only add alcohol and let administration handle CBD products on a case-by-case basis.

Board Chair Tanya Vann asked if there might be some “gray area” around CBD products such as CBD pain creams and other similar products. Vann explained that she did feel there was a difference in a student using a CBD cream and ingesting a gummy.

CBD products are not specifically listed on the Tennessee State Law [TCA 49-6-3401(g)] that determines the list of zero tolerance offenses, and therefore the local Board is not required to add them.

CBD handled at the administrative level

Following the vote, Director Moorehead stated that at MCHS Principal Josh Deal’s request, he would work with school administrators to develop an administrative policy like those staff already use when a student is found with tobacco products.

Following the meeting, Director Moorehead clarified with The Times that he felt like CBD and Delta 8 vapes were the step between nicotine vapes and THC vapes. He told us that the wide variety of products available were the reason he wanted to leave CBD products out of the zero offense policy and leave it to the discretion of local administrators.

In the end, member Greg Thompson made the motion to add alcohol to the zero tolerance offenses policy and fellow member Nathan Buchanan seconded the motion. It passed unanimously. Board members Ed Cashion and Jamie Cashion were not present at the meeting. {You can read the complete Zero Tolerance Offense policy by clicking here.}

The Moore County School Board will meet again on Monday, May 13 at 6 p.m. Anyone wishing to speak during the public comment period should contact Director of School Chad Moorehead to be placed on the public agenda no later than 4 p.m. on the date of the meeting. {To read the complete public commit policy, click here.}•

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