Question: Does a public school teacher have the right to send me to the office for drawing a picture of Satan in class?
Answer: Public school teachers are encouraged to deal with difficult students without resorting to trips to the principal, but teachers can decide whether a student is so disruptive that he or she needs to be removed from the classroom.
Once the student has been removed from the classroom, the principal or assistant principal should talk with the student to find out what happened before deciding what disciplinary action will be taken, if any.
Drawing a picture of Satan could be a completely innocent act of self-expression or an act of serious misconduct. It depends upon the circumstances: Was the drawing an art project or part of a threatening note? Was the drawing made on a piece of paper or on the student's desktop? A drawing of Satan is not something that warrants disciplinary action all by itself. But if the drawing is tied to some other misconduct, then disciplinary action may be justified. A trip to the principal's office may be needed to sort out what really happened.
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