MN Attorney General releases updated guidance on restraining students

(St. Paul, MN) -- Minnesota's attorney general says school resource officers and staff members should only use a "reasonable" amount of force when trying to restrain students. 

Attorney General Keith Ellison issued an opinion on the issue yesterday after being contacted by the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Education. Recent amendments to the state's school discipline laws caused confusion about whether certain physical holds could be used on students. Ellison said that agents working on behalf of the school are not limited in the type of force they can use "to prevent bodily harm or death."  

The Attorney General says school staffers should avoid using physical holds unless that threat is present.