Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-4501 (2026)
Legislative findings - Safety and civility
✓ current as of May 2026
The general assembly finds and declares that:
- (1) A safe and civil environment is necessary for students to learn and achieve high academic standards;
- (2) Harassment, intimidation, bullying or cyber-bullying, like other disruptive or violent behavior, is conduct that disrupts a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate its students in a safe environment;
- (3) Students learn by example. School administrators, faculty, staff and volunteers who demonstrate appropriate behavior, treating others with civility and respect and refusing to tolerate harassment, intimidation, bullying or cyber-bullying, encourage others to do so as well; and
- (4) The use of telephones, cellular phones or other wireless telecommunication devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), computers, electronic mail, instant messaging, text messaging, and websites by students in a manner that is safe and secure is essential to a safe and civil learning environment and is necessary for students to successfully use technology.
Acts 2005, ch. 202, § 1; 2011, ch. 251, §§ 1, 2; T.C.A. § 49-6-1014; T.C.A. § 45-6-1014.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 1
case (1 in the last 5 years), 2022–2022 · leading case: B.A.P. v. Overton Cnty. Bd. of Educ. (M.D. Tenn. 2022).
B.A.P. v. Overton Cnty. Bd. of Educ. (M.D. Tenn. 2022). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-4501 (1)(2). have a difficult task in balancing safety concerns against chilling free expression.”
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