JEFFERSON PARISH, La. — For Nyron Harrison, the agenda for a special meeting of the Jefferson Parish School Board should come as a shock but doesn’t.
“It doesn’t surprise me anymore,” said Harrison. “I don’t know what to trust or who to trust.”
On the Wednesday morning agenda is litigation to determine the constitutionality of the “Ka’Mauri Harrison Act” which is named after his 9-year-old son.
The fourth-grader at Woodmere Elementary was recently suspended and recommended for expulsion for handling what turned out to be a BB gun in his bedroom during virtual learning.
That lead to widely supported legislation that became law earlier this month.
Giving students more rights during virtual learning, part of the law sets up an appeal for disciplinary action, something Ka’Mauri still hasn’t been granted by the Jefferson Parish School System.
“The state has spoken. The state has said these children are entitled to heightened rights,” said attorney Chelsea Cusimano, who represents the Harrison family.
Cusimano said under the law four students in the Jefferson Parish School System should retroactively be entitled to an appeal process because of disciplinary action during virtual learning. Instead, the school board questions the law.
“Are they going to sue the legislature? Are they going to sue the governor? Are they going to sue Ka’Mauri himself,” questioned Cusimano. “They’re asking taxpayers to pour a copious amount of cash into challenging the constitutionality of a statute that is perfectly constitutional.”
As a parent, Nyron said his son’s experience is too important and doesn’t want other families to face the same situation.
“It was my son that had to go to the state capitol four times and have the courage to stand and testify before legislation,” said Harrison.
That board meeting is set for 9 a.m. Wednesday.
WWL reached out to the school system Tuesday afternoon for comment, specifically about that agenda item but never heard back.
