2016 Tennessee Code
Title 49 - Education
Chapter 6 - Elementary and Secondary Education
Part 12 - Junior and Senior High Schools -- Curriculum
§ 49-6-1202. American history and government.

(a) (1) Every four-year high school that receives public funds from city, county or state governments shall require every student to have at least one (1) year of instruction in American history and government, preferably in the fourth year.

(2) Any student in any of the designated schools who fails or refuses to take the subjects named in subdivision (a)(1) shall not be admitted to the University of Tennessee or the state university and community college system of Tennessee unless and until the student agrees to earn credit in these subjects in the first or second year of attendance.

(b) (1) Every private high school in Tennessee that gives a four-year course in literary branches is subject to the same requirements as are the public high schools in this state with regard to teaching American history and government.

(2) Failure or refusal to comply with subsection (a) and subdivision (b)(1) by private high schools will automatically remove them from the list of accredited high schools in Tennessee.

(c) Failure to carry out subsection (a) constitutes a Class A misdemeanor on the part of any principal of a public high school in this state and causes the school to be removed from the accredited list of high schools, and the teaching license of the teacher to be revoked.

(d) Any dean of the University of Tennessee or dean of any state college who violates this section shall be removed from such position and shall not be permitted to engage in any form of public school or college work in this state for the five (5) years next succeeding such dismissal. This subsection (d) also applies to any person who may be substituting for any of the deans.