Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-6-4106

When a member of a school's faculty or staff disciplines a student by issuing a written referral for the student's behavior, the referral shall be returned to the member of the faculty or staff with a notation of the action taken. The referral shall be kept in a student discipline file and shall not become a part of the student's permanent record. If a school district or a school has adopted an electronic system of making disciplinary referrals instead of using written referrals, then the member of the faculty or staff making the referral shall be notified of the action taken, but the notification may be made either electronically or in writing.