Mississippi legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Mississippi HB1589: Teachers who have sexual relations with students; prohibit resignation in lieu of termination.
Status: Failed, February 12, 2026
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 37-9-111, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY INVOLVED WITH A STUDENT FROM RESIGNING; TO REQUIRE TERMINATION OF SUCH PERSON; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
What the bill says
An act to amend sections 37-9-111 and 37-3-2, mississippi code of 1972, to prohibit local school boards, upon making a determination that a school employee has been sexually involved with a student, from accepting the employees resignation in lieu of terminating said employee; to require the school board to report such violation to the commission on teacher and administrator education, certification and licensure and development and to the appropriate law enforcement agency as required by law; and for related purposes.
From the introduced text:
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 37-9-111 AND 37-3-2, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT LOCAL SCHOOL BOARDS, UPON MAKING A DETERMINATION THAT A SCHOOL EMPLOYEE HAS BEEN SEXUALLY INVOLVED WITH A STUDENT, FROM ACCEPTING THE EMPLOYEES RESIGNATION IN LIEU OF TERMINATING SAID EMPLOYEE; TO REQUIRE THE SCHOOL BOARD TO REPORT SUCH VIOLATION TO THE COMMISSION ON TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE AND DEVELOPMENT AND TO THE APPROPRIATE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AS REQUIRED BY LAW; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: SECTION 1. Section 37-9-111, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows: 37-9-111. (1) The school board, or its designee, upon request for a hearing from an employee under the terms of Sections 37-9-101 through 37-9-113, shall set the time, place and date of such hearing and notify the employee in writing of same. The date shall be set not sooner than five (5) days nor later than thirty (30) days from the date of the request, unless otherwise agreed. The hearing may be held before the board or before a hearing officer appointed for such purpose by the board, either from among its own membership, from the staff of the school district or some *HR43/R1678CS* H. B. No. 1589 ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2 26/HR43/R1678CS PAGE 1 (DJ\KP) other …