MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. (7News) — Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is enacting sweeping changes to its student discipline policy in response to a recent uptick in violent incidents, including bomb threats, weapons on campus, and assaults on staff. S
Starting this fall, students who commit the most serious offenses could face long-term suspension or even expulsion. The updated Code of Conduct reclassifies threats and violent actions as Level 4 or 5 violations — the highest disciplinary categories under the district’s new guidelines.
Offenses such as making bomb threats, physically assaulting school personnel, or bringing weapons onto school property will now carry the most severe consequences.
The move comes after several alarming events during the current school year.
At Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, two lockdowns in one week in February forced administrators and first responders into emergency mode — one incident involved shots fired near campus, and another centered around a student bringing an airsoft gun to school. These kinds of threats used to be considered minor, but that’s no longer the case.
Data supports the shift. Last year, MCPS recorded 221 weapon-related incidents — an 11% increase over the previous year. Bomb threats also saw a similar rise...
